Project Charter Outline

As I mentioned in the thread about "team charters" I started in "General Management and Leadership," I am posting some notes from a project management course I recently took. I'd appreciate hearing if you all agree/disagree with things. Might just serve as a nice reminder to folks. You can view the other thread here: http://www.manager-tools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2806 What follows are roughly the lecture slides outline: Project Charter - What is it, who issues it? -Document that formally authorizes a project - links proposed work to organizational work -Authorizes PM to apply organizational resources to project (PM should be assigned pre-chartering) -Initiator or sponsor with the authority ot authorize funding issues the charter -Issued external to the project organization (e.g.) __-Gov't agency __-Enterprise __-PMO Project Charter - What can trigger it? -Market demand -Business need -Customer request -Technological advance -Legal requirement -Social need Elements of Charter -Primarily concerned with documenting the business needs, project justification, customer requirements, and how product will do that -Typical components __-Customer, sponsor, stakeholder needs __-Business needs addressed __-Assigned PM __-Stake holder analysis __-Milestone schedule __-Key team members __-Summary budget __-Internal, external, environmental concerns and constraints Charter Input, Tools & Techniques, Output Table with three columsn: (1)Inputs, (2)Tools & Techniques, (3)Outputs Row 1: Contract -> Project selection methods -> Project Charter Row 2: Project Statement of Work -> PM methodology Row 3: Enterprise environment factors -> PM Information Systems Row 4: Organizational assets -> Expert judgement Stakeholders -Definition: "Individuals and organizations that are actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be affected as a result of project execution and completion. They may exert influence over the projects objectives and outcomes." -Successful PM must: __-Identify stakeholders __-Determine requirements and expectations __-Manage their influence to ensure project success Stakeholder Identification - What do they look like? -Project Manager - responsible for managing project -Customer/user - will use product, multiple layers here -Performing Organization - enterprise whose employees to work on _project -Project management team - team members directly involved in _managing the project -Sponsor - person providing $$$$ and/or people -Influencers - indirect use or acquisition of product -PMO - if it exists, has stake in project outcome Stakeholder Analysis - Then Prioritize!! Create table with 4 columns: (1)Name, (2)Interests/Wants/Expectations, (3)Influence, (4)Risk Ex: Robert Langer -> Want: successful project, Expectation: makes money -> Positive -> High risk: unquantifiable expectation Stakeholder Expectations - Things to Consider -Differing or conflicting objectives/interests -Overlapping interests (e.g. providing financing for design of facility _company is building) -Varying shapes, sizes, interests __-Internal vs. external __-Owners __-Investors __-Family members __-Gov't agencies