This PMI project charter template provides you with a structured framework for setting clear objectives and guiding your team toward a common goal. Grounded in the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) standards, it guides you through outlining your project’s scope, key objectives, stakeholder expectations, and critical resources. With this template, your team can stay aligned from the start, streamlining project management so you can focus on execution and delivering results.
Key elements of the PMI project charter template
Each section of the template plays a vital role in your project:
- Project scope: This section lays out the project’s goals, boundaries, and objectives. Here, you define the overall purpose and outcomes, giving your team a clear vision of what the project will accomplish.
- Stakeholders: Identify the project’s key stakeholders, including their roles, requirements, and expectations. This supports you with taking into account each stakeholder’s needs, fostering alignment and support throughout the entire project.
- Project organization: You’ll then list down the project sponsor, project manager, and other essential team members. Clarify each role to establish accountability across the team and let everyone know about their responsibilities.
- Project management plan: In this part of the charter, you’ll outline critical management plans, including the project scope, schedule, costs, and risks. This leads to a roadmap for how the project will be managed, with structured guidance.
- Project approval: This is the final, critical step. You’ll get formal authorization from the project sponsor here, signaling alignment and readiness to proceed. This establishes the project’s official starting point, with everyone fully on board.
Tips for using the PMI project charter template
To fully leverage the template, here are some best practices to keep in mind.
Set realistic timelines to maintain momentum and quality throughout the project. You can consider how you’ll break down the project into smaller milestones, then identify potential bottlenecks and give enough buffer time to handle those without delaying the whole schedule too much.
Be as specific as possible with the scope and objectives from the start. List out what the project will and will not include, then review this with key stakeholders to ensure alignment. Vague goals can lead to scope creep, where the project slowly expands beyond its initial plan, creating unnecessary delays and resource strain.
Being flexible with changes is another key strategy for project management. Projects often encounter unexpected developments, from changes in stakeholder needs to sudden obstacles. You can set periodic check-in points to review the charter for this.
Get started with Lumiform’s PMI project charter template today
Bring structure and clarity to your project with this PMI project charter template. Outline essential details, from objectives and timelines to key stakeholders and responsibilities, keeping your team aligned and focused. This template makes planning much easier for you so you can drive your project towards success.