Projects are a daily part of our lives. From managing our personal lives to managing our businesses. Most individuals always dream of starting their own businesses, managing a business or owning one. However, much work should be put into running a business. This includes ensuring employee satisfaction and having an effective management team. As it is, most businesses that collapse, do so because of poor management. Additionally, a workplace environment is full of diversity with people from different cultures, religions, backgrounds, beliefs and values. Hence it is important for the management top ensure that the workplace environment facilitates workers productivity and employees stay engaged and satisfied. Additionally, communication skills at the workplace should ensure that they involve all employees and the form of communication chosen to communicate is relevant to the form of message the management intends to pass. Furthermore, an organization should have resources that facilitate employees working together, being productive and accomplishing their tasks hence improving job performance. All this is necessary for the successful formation of teams and for employees to work together as a team. Team work is essential for project management. Projects are an imperative part for the success of any business and organization.

            The first step to successful project management is defining the business goals. This helps the project to be aligned according to the vision and mission of the business. Additionally, before initiation of any project, management should select a project management team. However, the requirements of the project might differ based on the type of project. E.g. a project based on information technology, the project management team will need to include the IT team and business team to make sure that the information technology project aligns with the business needs of the information system. hence depending on the type of project, the team selected to oversee the project should make certain that the project aligns with business goals and serves the purpose it is intended to. However, there should be a project management team which is in charge of overseeing all the projects in the organization to make sure that projects are feasible and completed on tie and align with the business.

            There are several steps involved in the successful completion of a project. The first step includes developing a project charter, this is the very first step. The second step is choosing the project management team for the project. Additionally, the project should include a number of phases to ensure every stage of the project is considered and documented. A project charter is an official document which gives the official notice of a project being recognized and initiated. The project charter document includes a number of factors. First, it describes the project and the project manager who will be responsible for overseeing the project. Secondly, the project charter document, documents how the project will be carried out and the stakeholders who are involved in the project. Additionally, it should also provide reasons for why the project is needed. Furthermore, the project charter should state all the risks and benefits of the project. The project charter document is made official by having the sponsor of the project sign it.

Elements of a Project Charter

            There are a few elements of a project charter that need to be considered when developing the charter. They include:

1. project purpose. This element states the purpose of the project or the business needs it aims at addressing.
2. Objectives is the other element. This element states the aim of the project and the goals that the project wants to achieve.
3.  Requirements addresses what the organization needs in order to successfully complete the project. This refers to all the resources that are needed for the project.
4.  Assumptions and constraints are another element which describes the challenges the project might face and the assumptions that might be made during the lifecycle of the project.
5.  Description and boundaries of the project should also be included in the charter document. The details should include all the important details of the project and the boundaries within which the project should be performed and delivered.
6. Every project face risks; hence, it is important to describe the risks expected in the project. This is possible through a risk analysis, by describing what kind of risks the project will face.
7.  Additionally, the schedule the project is expected to take should be described to have an idea of how long the project will take. This will include the length of the project and any other important details regarding the schedule.
8.  Every project wouldn’t be successful without a budget; hence a budget should also be included as well as the stakeholder list. The budget to complete the project and any additional budget that might be incurred.
9.  The stakeholder list is a list of all the stakeholders involved in the project, both internal and external stakeholders should be listed accordingly and all the people who will be affected by the project.
10.  Requirements needed to ensure that the project is approved. That is, for the project to be considered successful, what are the requirements to consider or check. Also known as project deliverables.
11. Project manager should also be included in the project charter. The purpose of the project manager is to oversee the project from initiation to completion.  
12. Project sponsor is the person responsible for sponsoring or the one funding the project. Project sponsor is also responsible for signing the project charter documenting and making the project official.
13. project vision should be described. Project vision is what the project aims at accomplishing in the foreseeable future. This is possible by describing its purpose and relevance to the business.
14.  Last but not least, there should be a detailed implementation plan of how the project will be initiated. After the project has gone through all the stages of project management, how should it be executed.

Literature Review

Starns, V. A. (2019). Exploring the Strategies Project Managers Need to Establish a Project Charter for Initiating a Project.

            The authors in this article, identify that project management is an essential part of any organization and that the most important part which is project charter faces some gaps. Management in most organizations and leaders are unaware of how to develop an effective project charter document and lack the strategies to develop one. Additionally, they recognize that project charter is one of the most important documents which is drafted in the initiation stage of the project. The problem statement of the research in this article is “strategies project managers need to establish a project charter for initiating a project that has not been established (Kerzner, 2017).” The findings of the research indicated that there are 10 strategies needed by project managers to develop an efficient project charter. These strategies include: “(1) confirming training needs, (2) determining pre-charter requirements, (3) leadership practices, (4) solidifying project objectives, (5) effectively communicating project objectives, (6) understanding organizational strategies, (7) executing timely decision-making, (8) identifying stakeholders, (9) verifying funding obligations, and (10) establishing project authorization.” In summary project charters are an important document for the successful initiation and completion of any project, and project managers need the strategies to know how to make the project charters detailed, informative and highlighting all the needs of the project.

Suchcicki, E. (2012). ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: PROJECT CHARTER.

            According to the authors, project management plays a big role in the ICT industry. However, failure is inevitable in the ict industry and a plan is needed for the successful completion of projects. A project charter is one of the most important documents of any project. Nevertheless, few information is known or available about how project charters should be drafted and what to include. This article focuses on the guidelines of project charters and how to develop one. Additionally, the article focuses on project charters, how they are used, how they could be used and if they have any relationship to the success of a project. The findings of the research were as follows: “the use of a Project Charter with a particular structure will contribute to the successful outcome of a project; and 2. a Project Charter is a communication as well as an authorization instrument.” In conclusion, the project charter is not only critical for the success of a project but also it is effective and efficient when used as a communication tool.

Demirkesen, S., & Ozorhon, B. (2017). Impact of integration management on construction project management performance. 

            Projects are needed in all industries pf business, despite the type of business. It is critical that a business employs effective management skills to ensure successful projects. Most of the projects end up not seeing their completion while others never leave the initiation stage. In addition, some projects may overspend on the budget while others may operate low on budget than expected. Whatever the case, it is important to document the needs of a project, what the project aims to achieve and its connection to the business goals, vision and mission. However, despite the case project charters are required. In this article the authors discuss the importance of integrating management in the successful performance of projects in the construction industry. The authors list developing a project charter as one of the important documents that need to be developed. According to the findings, project management should be in conjunction with integration of management because management comprises most of the successful performance of completed projects. In conclusion, the study also indicates the importance of project charters and its connection to the success of a project.

Varajão, J., Colomo-Palacios, R., & Silva, H. (2017). ISO 21500: 2012 and PMBoK 5 processes in information systems project management.

            Most projects are abandoned halfway while others remain just ideas. The projects that actually see success are very few. When it comes to IT, most IT projects are known for their failure. To ensure the success of project management success. According to the authors, it is critical to perform a research of how project performance could be improved. According to the findings, “Given that IS projects are normally high performing projects, the difference in the view of the project, project management, its results and insights, seem to be important in the case of IS project managers. To investigate whether project managers who have specialized training in project management and those that do not have it differ on the implementation of project management processes.” In summary, the article states that for effective and efficient project management, the management needs to be involved in all the stages of the project and the project, managers and leaders as well as the project management team requires training for effective and efficient performance.

ENANI, J. Project Charter.

            According to the author, project charter marks the initiating state of the project. Furthermore, the charter helps the project stay on course, remember its objectives and in addition, the project charter cannot be changed throughout the entire project. Furthermore, it is necessary and imperative that project charter be signed off on and read by all the involved parties. According to the author “A lot of projects initiate with a top-down outlook. Even if the project manager prefers to function backward from the absolute deadline, he must initiate his charter from the upmost.” Consequently, the project charter is not the responsibility of the project manager, instead it is mainly authorized by the project sponsor, who after signing on it gives the project manager the full authority to finally initiate the project. The author also points out on the important steps that need to be taken, top oversee the successful completion of the project charter. These steps include:

1. Structure
2. Implementation approach
3. Plan of implementation
4. Milestones
5. Dependencies
6. Resource plan
7. Troubles and dangers.

In summary, the above steps should be considered when developing an efficient and effective project charter for any organization or to oversee a successful project.

Waggener, S. (2011). PS Project Charter. Waggener, S. (2011). PS Project Charter. Waggener, S. (2011). PS Project Charter.

            According to the previous literature reviews and articles, we have already seen how important project charters are for the success of a project. Additionally, we have also learnt that management is an important aspect for the success of a project. According to (Waggener, 2011), “The Project Charter documents the formal conversation between the Project Sponsor and the Project Manager/Team, including the definition of success for the project.” Once the project charter is approved by the project sponsor, the project manager has the go ahead to continue with the project. However, after the initiation stage, no additions should be added to the project charter. Nevertheless, the document should not be edited and it should include all the requirements of the project as well as the resources. however, necessary changes may be implemented by consulting the project sponsor. In summary, the project charter has to be developed before the initiation of any project, the project should not be edited once it has already been documented but special requests can be made to the project sponsor.

Wu, T. (2019). Achieving Organizational-Wide Support: The Effective Use of a Project Charter in an Enterprise Project. 

            Although in any organization projects might be restricted to departments, it is also important to remember that there are projects involving the entire enterprise. We have already seen previously that management plays a critical role in the success of projects. Additionally, it also plays the same critical role in overseeing the successful completion of projects in the entire organization. In such cases, a project charter for the entire organization should hence be developed. This charter should contain requirements, risks, benefits and all the details concerning the completion of enterprise projects. Hence, in such cases, a project charter plays a very important role. Not only is it viewed as playing a critical role in the success of the project but it also shows the support of the entire organization and ensures that the organization accomplishes its goals effectively, realizes its missions as well as visions as needed.

Conclusion

            Projects are an integral part of any organization. Most tasks in the organization are successful due to the collaboration of employees to ensure that projects are completed successfully. However, project charters are the main foundation in the success of a project. Not only are they essential in documenting important details about the project, but are also useful in acting as a communication tool. Nevertheless, they help in overseeing the success of a lot of projects. Hence, before the initiation of any project, a project charter should be described and documented. In addition, it should be authorized by a project sponsor.