Project Charter Template - Overview

Sep 11, 2026

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Project Charter Template provides a structured framework for documenting project purpose, intended outcomes, stakeholders, and approach. It guides project leads and team members through key considerations such as defining the problem, clarifying objectives and rationale, explaining institutional benefits, and establishing how success will be measured. The template supports SMART-style purpose statements, shows example wording and scenarios, and emphasizes reviewing interconnected components before finalizing the charter.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time7 min

AccessFree to download

Considerations

Project Charter Components Example

Project Charter Template Overview

Purpose Statement

Considerations

Intended Outcomes

# Project Charter Template PurposeWho this is forWhen touseStructured document to describe the·Project LeadsProposing the initiativeproject,its objectives,why it matters·Team Members(use for alignmentand who's involved-so everyone's onand orientation,support toolthe same page.building) Considering renewal or scalingResearching and learningThroughout implementation /at key milestones # Project Charter Template Project Charter Template ## Considerations ① Familiarize yourself with eachcomponent of the project charter. Consider a potential pathwaythrough the charter components. Example:You already know the what(Project Scope)and why(Purpose Statement and IntendedOutcomes)but are exploring who to involve(KeyStakeholders)and how to execute the initiative(Project Approach&Methodology). Before beginning with your charter,familiarizeyourself with each component of the template youwant to use to understand its purpose.See theProject Charter Components below. ③ Review and adjust interconnectedcomponents before finalizing. Focus on the components thatsupport your charter goals. Example:In an Office of Academic Affairs'budgetmeeting,the VP of Student Success must presentthree proposed initiatives to negotiate budgetallocation and secure approval.What keyinformation do they need to make their case to otherVPs and Deans? Example:You secured external funding for yourinitiative,but the funder has specific reportingrequirements.To accommodate this,you'llneed toadjust your Project Scope,Timeline,Team Roles,andassessment Methods to meet these requirementseffectively. ## Project Charter Components Example Each of the following components contains an example.However,if you would like to see a fully completed project charterbased on a real example purpose statement,you can view and download it in its entirety by clicking on the"Downloadcomplete example"button. ## Project Charter Template Overview Disclaimer:The purpose statement is a real example from Portland State University.However,the content for othercomponents in this document is based on the details of this example and is not representative of actual projectdocumentation. ### -Purpose Statement A purpose statement for an initiative outlines the primary goals andobjectives the project intends to achieve,providing a clear and conciseroadmap for the project's trajectory and alignment with an institution'sstrategic goals.Your purpose statement should be brief but comprehensive.Review the questions below to explore what to put intoyour purpose statement. ### Considerations ①What is the problem you are trying to solve? ### ②What are the initiative's objectives,and why are they needed? ③How will the initiative benefit the institution and core institutionalstakeholders(e.g.,Students,Faculty,Staff) ### ④How will you measure the success of the initiative? Review the example below and consider whatinformation might be missing to makeit aSMART statement. A simple way to write your purpose statementis to use the SMART-goal principle:specific,measurable,achievable,relevan,and time-bound. Example This purpose statement is a real example from Portland State University.However,the content for othercomponents in this document is based on the details of this example and is not representative of actualproject documentation. The purpose of the myNextsteps project is to create a mobile-friendly online resource for students where they can see a personalized listof important business deadlines and next steps in one place and that notifies them of critical steps related to the business of being astudent(especially for enrollment,biling,and financial aid).This project responds to students'repeated requests for accessible andstudent-friendly online information.It is an effort to minimize potential borriers to successful retention and graduation,as outined in ourstrategic goals.(from Portland State University) -Intended Outcomes Intended outcomes refer to the

FAQs

Who should use the Project Charter Template?

Project leads propose the initiative and define scope and rationale, while team members use the document for alignment, onboarding, and shared context across the project.

What should be included in a purpose statement?

A purpose statement outlines primary goals and objectives, explains why the initiative matters, and can follow the SMART principle to ensure it is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

How are intended outcomes and success metrics defined?

Intended outcomes describe the specific results or changes the project aims to achieve, typically aligned with institutional goals. Success is measured using expected benefits and key metrics or KPIs, supported by the template’s guidance.

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Cart