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Project charter
Why this project exists
current state, target state, in numbers where possibleObjectives and what success looks like
measurable, or it is a wishScope
the out column prevents the argumentsMilestones
four to six, with datesPeople, money, and known risks
the honest paragraphSign-off
a charter nobody signed is a suggestionWhy one page
The charter authorizes; the plan details. Schedules and task lists live elsewhere; this page grants the authority to make them.
Out of scope is the load-bearing section. Around half of projects report scope creep; the cure is written exclusions with a signature under them.
Success criteria beat objectives. "Improve the website" is an objective; "cut page load to under 2 seconds" is a criterion.
Signed means arguable. When scope drifts in month three, this page is what you reopen, calmly.
Write it before the kickoff, present it at the kickoff. The charter is the single page everyone half-remembers correctly six weeks later, which is exactly its job.
Keep it to this page. If a section wants to grow, it belongs in the plan, not the charter. Everything saves in this browser only.
Prefer paper? Download the blank sheet as a PDF. The thinking behind it, and the nine tools it works with, is in The Project.
General guidance from practice, not legal, HR, or financial advice. Everything you type stays in this browser and is never sent to a server.