Glossary
Project charter
A short document authorizing a project and outlining its objectives, high-level scope, stakeholders, and success criteria — typically created at the very start of an engagement, before the detailed SOW.
A short document authorizing a project and outlining its objectives, high-level scope, stakeholders, and success criteria — typically created at the very start of an engagement, before the detailed SOW.
Example
A project charter for a rebrand engagement states the objective ("modernize the brand ahead of a Series A raise"), key stakeholders, and success criteria, before the detailed SOW defines specific deliverables and dates.
Why it matters for agencies
A charter that clearly states the project's actual business objective gives the team a reference point for judging whether a client's mid-project request genuinely serves that objective (worth considering as an add-on) or is a tangent that should be politely deferred or change-ordered.