Project Chartering

For an idea to turn into reality, planning is the first step towards that journey. In terms of product development, Project Chartering is used as a tool to help define project goals and set proper expectations with the stakeholders.

According to Project Management Book of Knowledge, Project Charter is defined as,

A formal document that authorizes the project into existence and allows the project manager to use organization resource to project activities

But in context to agile development, project chartering is different because project chartering is not just a document but it’s a set of collaborative activities which helps to learn about the project and learn about constraints within the project and enhances teamwork.

As with any great work to do any meaningful work, you need to understand the purpose and how it impacts key stakeholders. Agile project charter provides more than just an existential ceremony for the project but also helps to identify scope, budget, resources and most importantly the objective of the project. Project Chartering is an important tool in Agile development as it sets clear expectation on various stakeholder (Alignment), Team building and Spot Issues.

Project Charter Template

Name and Timeframe

  • Team Name
  • Timeframe

Elevator Pitch

  • What ?
  • Why ?

Goals / Outcomes & Success Measure

Goal Success Criteria
Goal 1 Success Criteria
Goal 2 Success Criteria

Working Agreements

Questions to Ask:
  • What do we value as a team ?
  • How do we get started ?

Strengths / Constraints

Logistics / Cadence

  • Planning Cycle ?
  • Meetings ?
  • Core Hours
  • Collaboration Times

General Tips

  • Learn when to move on
  • Small Team for Chartering
  • Invite key stakeholders