Prozanta Template
Project charter
A clear project foundation with scope, goals, resources and success criteria
Project ID:
Date:
Version:
How to use this template
A project charter is the official document that authorises the project to exist and defines the frame: what the project must achieve, who is involved, what is in and out of scope, and which risks must be managed. A charter approved by the sponsor is binding for all parties.
When do you use it?
Before the project starts — use it as the first document created and approved. All parties should sign before resources are allocated. For kaizen events and improvement initiatives, the charter is replaced by Kaizen Event Planning.
What does SMART mean?
- Specific — precisely defined what
- Measurable — concrete number and parameter
- Achievable — challenging but realistic
- Relevant — tied to the business need
- Time-bound — a clear deadline
Step by step
- Fill in the background and business problem — what is the reason for the project, and what does doing nothing cost?
- Define SMART goals with a baseline and a concrete target state.
- Clarify scope clearly — what is explicitly NOT in the project (out-of-scope) is at least as important.
- Identify the required resources and build a realistic timeline.
- Map the key risks and who owns them.
- Have the sponsor and project lead sign — the charter is a contract.
Watch out
- A charter written by one person in a meeting solves nothing — it needs input from those who do the work.
- Vague scope is the most common cause of scope creep and delays.
- Avoid goals that can't be measured: "improve quality" is not a goal — "reduce the scrap rate from 3% to 1%" is.
Example
Goal: Reduce changeover time on line 3 from 47 to under 20 minutes by the end of Q3. In scope: line 3 and related preparation activities. Out of scope: changing the product design.
Method: PMI Project Charter; combine with Hoshin Kanri for strategic anchoring.
Project name
Sponsor
Project lead
Department / Business unit
Planned start date
Planned end date
1. Background and business problem
Describe the problem, business opportunity or requirement driving this project...
2. Project goals (SMART)
| # | Goal | Metric | Baseline | Target | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 4 |
3. Project scope
✓ In scope
✗ Out of scope
4. Team, resources and budget
| Name / Role | Department | % Time | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|
Total budget
Internal time (estimate)
External consultant budget
5. Risks and dependencies
| Risk / Dependency | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | |||
| High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | |||
| High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | |||
| High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
Sponsor
Name:
Sign: Date:
Project lead
Name:
Sign: Date:
Management approval
Name:
Sign: Date:
Prozanta · prozanta.dk
Project charter — {Project name}
Version: ______ · Date: ___________