We all are aware of what Project Charter is. For the most part, Project Charter is a formal document that marks the initiation of a project. It defines its objectives, scope, stakeholders, high-level risks, budget, etc. It serves as a foundational guide to get the project started and throughout the project, ensuring the project is aligned with initial goals.
However, the static or dynamic nature of the Charter can create confusion amongst the project team and stakeholders, and more so with the organization. So, the question is, should the project Charter evolve through the project lifecycle, or should it be a document for one-time reference? A static charter can help prevent scope creep by keeping everyone focused on the initial objectives and agreed-upon points. However, projects rarely unfold exactly as planned. A dynamic charter allows adjustments to reflect changing circumstances.
Would like to know your thoughts. What factors impact the Charter and changes if needed? Saving Changes...
Deepa, More frequently, its helps in keeping us within the scope and time, and see if we are able achieve the desired objectives and goals. Sometimes, activities are identified during the later project execution stage that may fall with in the scope of project but performing those activities might lead to major impact on project time and cost. So, this also helps in saying NO to activities and tasks which were not initially agreed upon.
Thanks for your comment and I agree with you Mandhar. Yes, it serves as a guardrail. Saving Changes...
The project charter traditionally serves as a foundational document that outlines the initial goals, objectives, scope, and key stakeholders of a project. However, in today's rapidly changing business environment, particularly with agile methodologies, there's a growing debate about whether the charter should be more flexible. In my opinion, the project charter can be viewed as a hybrid document - one that sets a solid foundation but also allows for some flexibility as the project evolves. Here's why: Initial framework: The charter should provide a clear starting point, outlining the project's purpose, high-level objectives, and key stakeholders. This gives the team a shared understanding and direction. Agile adaptability: In agile projects, we acknowledge that requirements and priorities may shift as we gain more insights. The charter should be open to refinement as we learn more through iterations. Core vs. flexible elements: Some aspects of the charter, like the overall project vision and key stakeholders, might remain relatively stable. Others, like specific objectives or scope details, could be more open to evolution. Regular reviews: The charter can be reviewed at key milestones or sprint reviews to ensure it still aligns with the project's current direction and business needs. Change management: Any significant changes to the charter should still go through a formal change management process to ensure proper communication and alignment with stakeholders. Living documentation: While the original charter serves as a baseline, teams can maintain a living version that reflects current project realities, clearly tracking changes from the original. This approach allows for the stability and alignment that a charter provides, while also embracing the flexibility needed in agile environments. The key is to maintain transparency about any changes and ensure that shifts in the charter reflect genuine learning and evolving business needs, rather than scope creep or loss of focus.
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1 reply by Dr. Deepa Bhide
Aug 04, 2024 1:57 AM
Dr. Deepa Bhide
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Thanks Booma. I appreciate your detailed response.
The project charter traditionally serves as a foundational document that outlines the initial goals, objectives, scope, and key stakeholders of a project. However, in today's rapidly changing business environment, particularly with agile methodologies, there's a growing debate about whether the charter should be more flexible. In my opinion, the project charter can be viewed as a hybrid document - one that sets a solid foundation but also allows for some flexibility as the project evolves. Here's why: Initial framework: The charter should provide a clear starting point, outlining the project's purpose, high-level objectives, and key stakeholders. This gives the team a shared understanding and direction. Agile adaptability: In agile projects, we acknowledge that requirements and priorities may shift as we gain more insights. The charter should be open to refinement as we learn more through iterations. Core vs. flexible elements: Some aspects of the charter, like the overall project vision and key stakeholders, might remain relatively stable. Others, like specific objectives or scope details, could be more open to evolution. Regular reviews: The charter can be reviewed at key milestones or sprint reviews to ensure it still aligns with the project's current direction and business needs. Change management: Any significant changes to the charter should still go through a formal change management process to ensure proper communication and alignment with stakeholders. Living documentation: While the original charter serves as a baseline, teams can maintain a living version that reflects current project realities, clearly tracking changes from the original. This approach allows for the stability and alignment that a charter provides, while also embracing the flexibility needed in agile environments. The key is to maintain transparency about any changes and ensure that shifts in the charter reflect genuine learning and evolving business needs, rather than scope creep or loss of focus.
Thanks Booma. I appreciate your detailed response. Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Typically a project charter is a formal document, akin to a contract, that gives permission for the project to start. Should it be static or dynamic? The charter itself should be static (baseline),and any changes raised during the course of the project should be handled via the change management process. I saw reference to Agile in previous comments but being Agile does not give permission for a project charter ti just change. Being agile means the ability to change within the confines of a charter, or change requests raised against it. You cannot have a project charter that give permission to build a house and then you build an apartment building because you are agile. So back to the question - the project charter is dynamic but via a process of raising change requests within a change management process. Saving Changes...
Kevin OtimProject/ Construction Manager | Nitsch Engineering (U) LimitedKampala,, Uganda
yes a fixed charter provides clarity and focus, but the nature of Projects is that they do change due to external factors, challenges and opportunities. We could not anticipate COVID 19, it's impact on global trade and logistics and importantly on humans and our work culture.
Maintaining formal change control process as part of the Core Charter, offers a balanced approach, ensuring project alignment while allowing for necessary adjustments.
