A project charter is typically a one- to three-page document divided into clearly labeled sections that describe what a project will accomplish, who is responsible, and what resources it needs. It can be as simple as a structured email or as formal as a multi-page template with signature blocks. There is no single required format, but most charters share the same core sections regardless of industry or project size.
The Core Sections You’ll See
The Project Management Institute’s PMBOK Guide identifies several pieces of information a charter should include, either directly or by reference. While no specific format is mandated, the following sections appear in nearly every project charter template:
- Project Overview or Purpose: A short statement of the problem the project solves and why the organization is undertaking it. This is sometimes labeled “Business Need” or “Problem Statement.”
- Goals and Objectives: What success looks like in concrete terms. Good charters state measurable targets, like “reduce customer onboarding time from 14 days to 5 days.”
- Scope: What the project includes and, just as importantly, what it does not include. Drawing these boundaries upfront prevents the project from gradually expanding beyond what was approved.
- Deliverables: The specific outputs the project will produce, whether that’s a software application, a new process, a building, or a report.
- Summary Schedule: Key milestones and a rough timeline. This is not a full project plan; it’s a high-level view showing when major phases start and end.
- Budget and Resources: An estimate of what the project will cost and what people, equipment, or technology it requires.
- Business Case: The financial or strategic justification, often including return on investment or other metrics that explain why this project is worth funding.
- Risks, Constraints, and Assumptions: Known risks that could derail the project, hard constraints like regulatory deadlines or fixed budgets, and assumptions the plan depends on (for example, “assumes the vendor can deliver hardware by Q3”).
- Roles and Responsibilities: Who the project sponsor is, who the project manager is, and which teams or stakeholders are involved.
- Approvals: A signature block where sponsors and key decision-makers formally authorize the project.
A charter doesn’t need every one of these sections to function. The PMBOK Guide treats the list as guidance, not a strict checklist. A small internal initiative might skip the formal business case, while a large capital project might add sections for compliance requirements or vendor agreements.
One-Page vs. Multi-Page Formats
The most common layout choice is between a single-page summary and a longer, more detailed document. Both serve the same purpose, but they suit different audiences and project sizes.
A one-page charter compresses everything into a print-friendly overview. You’ll typically see the project name and sponsor at the top, followed by short blocks for the problem statement, goals, scope, schedule, resources, costs, and risks. Each block might be just two or three sentences. This format works well for smaller projects or when you need a quick reference that stakeholders can scan in a few minutes.
A comprehensive charter spreads each section across its own page or half-page, giving room for more detail. The project overview section might include separate fields for the problem, the purpose, the business case, goals, success metrics, and expected deliverables. Later sections elaborate on scope boundaries, a tentative schedule with milestone dates, resource requirements broken down by role, cost estimates broken into categories, and a full risk register. Organizations that run many projects often standardize on a multi-page template so every project is documented the same way.
In practice, many teams start with a one-page version to get initial buy-in, then expand it into a fuller document once the project is formally approved.
What the Approval Section Looks Like
The sign-off section at the bottom of a charter is what transforms it from a planning document into an authorization. A typical approval block includes language along these lines: “The undersigned acknowledge they have reviewed the project charter and authorize and fund the project. The undersigned hereby give the project manager the authority to apply the approved level of organizational resources to project activities.”
Below that statement, you’ll see lines for printed names, titles, signatures, and dates. The project sponsor (the executive funding the work) and the project manager almost always sign. Depending on the organization, additional signers might include a department head, a finance director, or a technical lead. Some organizations treat signatures as strongly preferred rather than strictly required, especially for smaller or internal efforts, but the act of signing is what formally grants the project manager the authority to spend money, assign people, and make scheduling decisions.
How the Project Manager Section Works
Most charters include a dedicated section that names the project manager and spells out their level of authority. This matters because the project manager’s power varies from one organization to the next. In some companies, the PM has full control over the budget and can hire or reassign team members. In others, the PM coordinates the work but needs approval from a sponsor before spending money or changing the schedule.
The charter makes this explicit. A typical entry lists the project manager’s name, their day-to-day responsibilities (managing scope, quality, schedule, and cost), and any limits on their authority. If the PM can approve expenditures up to $10,000 but needs sponsor approval above that, the charter is where that boundary gets documented.
Format Flexibility
There is no universally required template. The PMBOK Guide specifically notes that a project charter can take the form of a structured email, a memo, a spreadsheet, a slide deck, or a formal Word document. What makes it a charter is the content it contains and the authorization it provides, not the file format.
That said, most organizations settle on a standard template for consistency. If you’re creating your first charter and don’t have an internal template to follow, start with the section list above, fill in what you know, and keep it as short as you can while still covering each area. A clear, concise charter that stakeholders actually read is more valuable than a lengthy one that sits in a shared drive unopened.