PROJECT CHARTER TOOLKIT

PROJECT CHARTER TOOLKIT

Developing the Project Charter When you have been on work teams in the past, whether they were for a few months, a year or multiple years, have you ever had a structured approach to communication? How about group norms or project preparation? Most likely not. To keep everyone on task and focused when dealing with any sized project is challenging. It is even more challenging without a formalized structure. To mitigate this, developing a project and/or team charter will help set expectations, develop a project plan, manage and direct work, monitor and control work and integrate communications and change. The following will describe parts of the Project/Team Charter, how it is put together and the increased efficiency and effectiveness of teams in a chartered environment. Development First, let s be clear: there is no perfect way to develop a charter or manage a team or project. Each project differentiates itself from each other, but, more important, the people on your team change. The development of a project charter enables the team to understand more than just their jobs. It will also expand their scope, allowing them to understand the elements for which each person on the team is accountable. This allows open, clear communication and quick reaction time to various issues. Developing a charter is important to the overall success of your project team. Objectives of the Charter: Integrate and clarify communication Break down barriers/walls to effective and efficient workflow Establish group norms Develop project management plans Better direct and manage of project work Monitor and control accountability of work Step 1: Inputs Here we plan on answering the following questions: Why are we doing this work? How do we plan on doing it? How do we plan the project strategic, tactical, etc.? What is the history of this project? (How it came to be) Answering these questions is tough business, but making the intent of the project as clear as possible to all stakeholders is imperative to its success. It will provide clear direction, scope, scheduling and planning for the project and team members. The following outline is directly from the PMBOK body of knowledge. This is one small, but incredibly important part of what you will learn in the PMP Program at Stetson University. A. Project Statement of Work a. Business need i. How do you describe the business need for the project? Have you ever asked yourself, Why in the world are we wasting our time with this project? Describing the business need will help each project team member better understand the thought process behind the project. It can lead to broader and more exhaustive thinking. b. Product scope and description Stetson University Project Charter Toolkit Page 2

i. Have you ever wondered about how other team members get their work done? Defining the scope and description of the product is powerful. It allows team members to conceptually think about their job on the project, as well as timeframe for each part. c. Strategic Plan B. Business Case i. You are only as good as your plan. This is where all the parts fit together. a. Market demand i. What is the expected market demand for this product or service? Who is going to use it? This question will help the team understand why it is coming to market and may spark additional ideas into how to better promote or develop it. b. Organizational need i. If this is for your organization, who needs it? The interesting part about this is the team members may come from various departments. If this is the case, they may see an organizational need or parallel within their work where they would use it. c. Customer request i. Who is requesting this? This will help determine the pace at which the team works. If it is coming from the C-suite, they may want thiws done now. Know your customer. d. Technological advance e. Legal requirement i. What are the legal requirements of the product or service? What boundaries do you have? What organizations will have to approve this? f. Ecological impacts g. Social need C. Agreements i. Again, looking at the environment, what entities must approve this product to come to market? i. Is there a social need for this product? What happens in the social environment when the product comes to fruition? a. Memorandum of understanding (MOU s) required or service level agreement (SLA) i. These can be internal or external agreements with internal departments, team members and outside contractors. Having very specific agreements in place, like the charter, MOU s and SLA s will ensure fairness and equity as well as expeditious work. D. Enterprise environmental factors a. Governmental standards i. What organizations within government will you have to work with, if any, to launch this product or service? What governmental standards? b. Organizational structure and culture i. This is where understanding the portion of the team charter is essential. Understanding the culture, not just of the company, but also each department and the project team is essential. c. Marketplace conditions Stetson University Project Charter Toolkit Page 3

E. Organizational process assets a. Standard operating procedures (SOP s) b. Templates c. Historical Information past charters, projects, plans, etc. Step 2: Tools and Techniques In Step 2: Tools and Techniques, we answer the questions: 1. Who, within or outside the organization, can help me achieve project completion? 2. Who, within or outside the organization, is an expert on this project and will enhance the details and overall project effectiveness? 3. How do we get the best insight from industry groups regarding how to market, expedite and win with this project? 4. What are our communication techniques within and outside of the team? Evaluating ourselves against industry standards, working with experts and figuring out to communicate internally and externally is essential. Having a plan on how to do it is even more essential. It is important to take into consideration each of the following factors as well as answer the questions. A. Expert Judgement a. Other units in organization b. Consultants c. Stakeholders customers and sponsors d. Professional and technical organizations e. Industry groups f. Subject Matter Experts (SME) g. Project Management Office B. Facilitation Techniques a. Guides the development of the project charter. Includes brainstorming, conflict resolution, problem solving and meeting management used by individuals and facilitators. i. This part is incredibly important to the success of your team. Outlining how to approach conflict resolution, when to have brainstorming sessions and how to manage a meeting can save you time, money and a lot of headaches. Step 3: Outputs The outputs section is where the rubber meets the road. After completing all of the above, the following are the outcome. It is important to have these components in mind when developing the charter, as it will help define how in-depth you take each section. A. Finalized Project Charter a. Project purpose and justification b. Measurable project objectives and related success criteria c. High-level requirements d. Assumptions and constraints e. High-level project description and boundaries f. High-level risks Stetson University Project Charter Toolkit Page 4

g. Summary milestone schedule h. Summary budget i. Stakeholder list j. Project approval requirements who signs off k. Assigned PM l. Name of authority What a great start! During the PMP Program at Stetson University, you will be immersed within the PMP body of knowledge, more formally known as the PMBOK guide, as well as class projects, group work and individual reading and studying. What Makes this PMP Course Different? The PMP Program is unlike any other program in the Central Florida area, as well as in all of Florida by offering the opportunity to Receive graduate credit* Fulfill the educational requirement to take the PMP exam Provide you with assistance when filling out the PMI information Official Stetson University transcript Certificate of completion from Stetson University What are some other benefits to this program? You are absolutely investing in yourself by taking this internationally recognized program! Those with a PMP certification garner a higher salary (20% higher on average) than those without a PMP certification (PMP Survey results). The median annual salary, across all countries, roles and experience levels is $81,000 (USD). Twenty-seven percent of participants reported salary increases of at least 5% in the year before they completed the survey. Number of years of project management experience continues to have an impressive impact on salaries across the globe in Singapore, for example, the median salary ranges from $47,657 (USD) for those just starting out in the project management field to $131,972 (USD) for those who have been in the field for 20 years or more. This represents an increase of 177% from low to high experience in the field. If you truly value education and investing in yourself as well as your long-term career prospects, this program is for you! For additional information, please do not hesitate to e-mail or call us! Sincerely, Adam J. Talbot, MBA Director, Professional and Corporate Education Stetson University Stetson University Project Charter Toolkit Page 5