Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
I say it is true. But this view is disputed.
A charter serves as a governance artefact, in the moment it is signed, the project starts. This can never be changed, like a birth certificate (well, there are instances for that). If content of the charter changes, it can be handled by the project change process if necessary or you can say we leave it and update the plan only.
The problem is that many organisations mess up this purpose with other information that may easily change over the course of the project, like high level scope, risk, budget limit, key milestones, key stakeholders etc. This information could be contained in a business case and referred to in the charter.
Elements of a charter might be immutable such as the rationale underlying the project or the expected outcomes, but given that there is no single standard on what information is contained in a charter, it is quite possible that other elements might change.
Realistically, I've rarely seen cases where charters have been revised once they had been formally reviewed and approved as the content within them is elaborated upon in other artifacts which will be "living" such as the PM plan, WBS and so on...
Can any statements, terms and other things encapsulated in a charter get changed, added to or abandoned? Yes of course if necessary. Do you need a new charter or a revised charter if and when such changes happen? That depends what the charter means to you and your organisation. I suggest you should be guided by what you expect to use the charter for.
My inclination is to agree with Thomas. I wouldn't worry about changing the charter if it's easier to treat it as matter of record rather than a working document. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Michael
I agree with Kiron's feedback. In rare cases, the business case could become obsolete so the project might be cancelled but in terms of the charter, I've also rarely seen it change but could it be? Yes, depending on the governance structure but it will definitely have to go through the CCB for approval and probably escalated to higher management.
In the dynamic world in which we live, projects need to adapt to requirements seeking the benefits expected of them. From this point of view, if it agrees the strategic objectives (within a portfolio or program), its probable that the charter need to be updated.
For this there must be a good reason since the charter responds to the benefits of a portfolio or program and these, respond to the value that is wanted to obtain and that is expected of the strategic objectives and these, are intrinsically linked with the mission and vision of the organization which, at the same time, are implicitly identified in the turn of the company, having constituted it... Saving Changes...
As Kiron hinted, the trick is to put only the "contract" stuff in the project charter (who does what to whom for how much) and leave the details in the management documents
This can be difficult if your organization's charter template tries to include everything in one document. I highly suggest you point the charter reader to other management documents where you can, to stabilize your charter. Saving Changes...
Peter RapinSubject Matter Expect; Project Delivery| Independent ConsultantOntario, Canada
In my view a Charter is essentially a contract or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the major stakeholders. That being the case it should be a relatively short document signed by the parties with no need for revision or updates. If the deliverable changes sufficiently to require a Charter revision it essentially becomes a 'new' project. However the new project can carry forward using all old project processes. methodologies, initiative, plans, etc except for those affected by the Charter change.
The problem is that the Project Charter concept and purpose keeps expanding. Its no longer just an MoU but attempts to satisfy many other project requirements including defining delivery methodology, processes, resources, etc., - essentially becoming a project business case and project plan as well as a Charter.
In response to the initial question; a true Charter should be written such as to eliminate a need to change recognizing that a change leads to a 'new' project. Whereas a 'hybrid' Charter is subject to change to all supplemental elements. Saving Changes...
Intentional or otherwise, the question assumes that we all agree on what goes into a project charter, and the answers demonstrate otherwise.
Using the template PMI provides in the KICKOFF course as a reference, I would say that every field, except for one could easily change. The charter gets created at the beginning of a project, sometimes before there is a project manager involved with the project. It is too early to create a document that will not be proven wrong over the life of the project, unless the assumption is that the charter reflects a starting point that becomes mostly obsolete once the work begins.
The one field that can't change without potentially canceling the project is the Business Need/Project Objectives. This information has to be complete and accurate at the beginning of the project and should be foremost on your mind throughout the project. The business need drives the project; everything else is just information. Saving Changes...
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