A project charter is a document that formally authorizes a project and names the project manager. It records why the project is being undertaken, what it must deliver, who the key stakeholders are, what the high-level budget and schedule constraints are, and what authority the project manager holds. The charter does not define every task — that belongs in the detailed project schedule — but it provides the official authorization to begin planning and to draw on organizational resources.

What a Project Charter Contains

A charter typically includes:

  • Project purpose and business justification — why this project is worth doing
  • High-level objectives — measurable outcomes the project must achieve
  • High-level scope — what is in and what is explicitly out of scope
  • Key stakeholders — sponsor, project manager, customer, and major contributors
  • Budget and schedule constraints — approved funding envelope and target completion
  • Project manager authority — what decisions the PM can make without escalation
  • Assumptions and risks — conditions the plan depends on and known threats

Charter vs. Scope Statement vs. Plan

These three documents operate at different levels of detail. The charter authorizes the project at a summary level. The scope statement (or scope management plan) elaborates on what will and will not be delivered. The project plan and project schedule define how and when the work will be done. Writing a detailed task schedule before the charter is approved puts the schedule at risk of authorization changes.

Project Charter in Maverick

Maverick's AI chat can help draft a project charter from a brief description of the project — pulling out the purpose, key deliverables, stakeholder roles, and constraints into a structured format. Once the charter is agreed, the AI can continue into the planning phase: building the work breakdown structure, drafting tasks, assigning resources, and calculating the critical path — all in the same conversation.

Related Terms

Project Scope  ·  Stakeholder  ·  Project Lifecycle  ·  Project Schedule  ·  Work Breakdown Structure

Go from Charter to Schedule in One Tool

Start a free trial of Maverick, describe your project to the AI, and let it draft a project structure — then keep building all the way to a scheduled, resource-allocated plan with a baseline. No credit card required.

Start the Free Trial