Why Shouldn’t a Project Begin Without a Project Charter?
The Project Charter is one of the most important and necessary documents for any project. It is the first document for a project and serves as its foundation. A project charter is a document that describes the project at a high level, highlighting the stakeholders and the approach to the project. It gives the Project Manager an overview of the project. A project charter is owned by the project sponsor. The Project Charter is authorized by the Project Sponsor, but it can be created by the Project Manager. Every Project Charter should be approved by Project Stakeholders. Once approved, the Project Charter cannot be changed during the project’s life cycle.
What Does a Project Charter Contain?
There is no set standard for what information should be included in a project charter. In fact, the format of a project charter can vary from organization to organization. We have listed the information that can be included in a project charter.
Project Name – The name of the project that distinguishes it from others.
Project Description – A brief description of the project.
Project Scope – The high-level scope of the project.
Project Stakeholders – Who are the stakeholders in this project?
Business Case – Why is this project important?
the project’s value proposition Project Goals – What is the project’s goal?
Project Timeline – Start and End Dates
Project Deliverable – The project’s outcome or deliverable.
Project Constraints – The various constraints that the project faces.
Assumptions – What assumptions were made for the project during the initiation phase?
Project Scope
Why Is Project Scope Important for a Project?
The majority of projects fail because the scope of a particular project is not clearly defined. For any project to be successful, the project scope must be clear to all stakeholders and free of assumptions.
What Is the Scope of a Project?
Project Scope, as the name implies, is the project’s perimeter. Every project team is only required to deliver what is defined and agreed upon in the Project Scope. A project scope document contains information about the scope of the project. It is the foundation upon which the schedule and budget are built. The PMBOK defines project scope as “all the work required and only the work required to complete the project.”
It is critical for every project manager to document the scope of the project and obtain approval from all stakeholders. The scope of a project can change over time due to a change in the client’s requirements, a change in the business scenario, or any other relevant reason. Any change in project scope, however, should be supported by a Change request. The change requester must submit a change request, which must be approved by the change control board. Any changes to the project’s scope will have an impact on Time, Cost, Quality, Risk, Staffing (Human Resources), and Communication.
Impact of Project Scope The impact of a change in project scope on Time, Cost, Quality, Risk, Staffing (Human Resources), and Communication is difficult to determine and takes a long time for any project manager to identify. If the scope change impact is not correctly determined, it will have a negative impact on the project’s success.
Define the scope of the project
Defining Project Scope is the first step in defining the project’s scope. Deliverable, Functionality & Data, and Technical Structure are the three major ways in which scope can be defined.
Deliverables include both internal (internal project deliverables) and external deliverables. (Available for delivery to the client)
Functionality – The project’s functional specification. Mention the list of capabilities.
Technical Structure – At a high level, the structure diagram can identify the entire system.
It can be created in a pictorial or diagram format.
Conclusion
Scope definition is a significant issue in many projects. A misunderstanding about the project’s scope can lead to disaster. Unless and until the scope is correctly identified, the project cannot be controlled, and the scope will continue to grow.
A project charter serves as a strong foundation for a project (small or large). All project stakeholders are aware of their roles and the level of effort required on their part. A good project charter can help the project succeed because it is used during the initial phase and planning phase. Before taking on a new project, a project manager must have a project charter. If a project charter is not available, it is preferable to create one and have it approved by the stakeholders before beginning the project.
