- Official document created and approved by key stakeholders, after project idea has been identified
- Developed by the corporate executive or sponsor
- Defines the responsibilities and boundaries of the project manager and the project
Scope Statement:
- After the project charter is approved, the project manager can proceed with launching team building activities and defining the scope of the project
- Document that formalizes references the scope of everything that the project must produce that is used for future decision making
- Developed by the project manager with his/her project team members
- Acts as a response to the Sponsor/Project Charter
Reasons to Keep These Two Documents Separate:
- Avoid debate in the project approval phase, as the project charter is easier to gain project approval in the early phases & helps to move the scope statement more quickly to save time in the end
- Avoid early arguments over: deliverables, precise wording for the milestones, and objectives to help keep the direction of the project in the hands of the project manager, as written in the scope statement
- Project charter is delivered to those with the authority to sign off on, as it defines the project, and can be used as a reference by the project manager to keep the project on course through the marching orders of upper management