Project charter construction

Learning objectives

• Assemble the elements of a project charter.
• Obtain sponsor and process-owner authorization.
• Keep the charter current through DMAIC.

The charter is a control document

Include business case, problem, goal, scope, timeline, team, roles, benefits, risks, milestones and approvals. It is a living control document, not ceremony.

Garment-factory example

A needle-damage reduction charter identifies the product family, customer risk, current defect rate, target, excluded supplier-redesign work, team, tollgate dates and benefit method.

Method

1. Draft with sponsor and process owner.
2. Validate data before approval.
3. Challenge scope and resources.
4. Review at every tollgate.

Common mistakes

• Copying a generic charter.
• Omitting process owner or benefit validation.