Generating a Business Needs Project Charter

Setting off on a Project without a solid and robust Project Charter is like setting off on a journey without a chosen destination. This can often result in inefficiencies and losses due to the wrong decisions, wrong expenditures, as well as wrong resource commitments which in today’s challenging business environment no company can afford.

This consultancy service with a structured Front End Loading exercise, will greatly enhance the ability to deliver a project on plan, on time and on budget. This involves a 2-3 day Workshop involving key personnel from the business as well as people who will most likely be part of the project team.

What is involved?

During the workshop the following topics will be discussed in order for the Project Charter to take shape:

• Define a project goal
• Governance
• Strategic fit for the business
• Product range
• Technology
• Manufacturing
• Regulatory considerations
• Facility, systems, equipment and resources
• Schedule
• Image, presentation, and culture
• Capital investment requirements
• Main perceived risks
• etc.

Deliverables:

The key deliverable from this consultancy service is The Project Charter itself (also known as a Project Business needs Charter) which considers the Business Strategy, Sales & Marketing projections, skills and resource availability. It also sets out some key accountabilities for delivering the Project as well as setting out critical success factors. In fact, the Project Charter is a document which legitimises / authorises the project to exist and gives the project manager the required authority to utilise company resources.

Typically, we are trying to answer the key question. “Do we understand what we are starting?” by answering questions such as:

• Why is this project being undertaken?
• What is the Business case?
• What will the project deliver?
• What resources will be committed?
• Where are we doing this project?
• How do we want to tackle this project?
• What are the key roles involved?
• Is the scope clear and realistic?

In some ways, the Project Charter is the first gate in a Stage Gate Process to be used throughout the project lifecycle. If the above questions are not known, the project should not be committed to. The Project Charter is a mandate for the appointed Project Manager to go ahead and prepare a Project Execution Plan and start the project definition phase.

Timing – when should this consultancy be engaged?

Due to the fundamental nature of The Project Charter, this service should be employed at the very outset of a new project; prior to committing internal resources and engaging external contractors.

Our Consultants

We have senior consultants available to assist clients in developing The Project Charter. They have worked in industry in senior roles in multi-national companies and have extensive experience in setting up and managing the various stages of a project. Find out more about our consultants on our Business Consultancy page.

Contact us to find out more and arrange this consultancy service.