Project Charter (Individual project)
Overview
The purpose of this Indivdual assignment is to develop a project charter based on the Case Study. The
charter is the initial document that ensures everyone has a common understanding of the project and
authorizes the project to proceed. Details of the project will be developed later.
Details of the Project Charter assignment
Read “Mamma’s Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe Case Study” (Course Resources).
Determine the initial project management roles of each team member (assume a team size of 6-8) on
the IT project team for planning, designing, and installing the IT system.
Some team roles might include:
•
•
•
•
Project Manager
Functional or technical managers, such as telecommunications, application software designer,
database developer, Web page designer, etc.
Budget/Finance
Project Management Support such as procurement or human resources
Use the textbook and other academically credible sources, as a minimum, to define an IT System and
then to determine the proposed scope for this project. For example, including a scheduling software
package may be within the scope. Providing a learning application for new employees might be not be
within the scope of this IT project.
Use the Case Study to be clear on the basic requirements for this project. What will the IT project team
provide if the proposed plan is accepted? You may email the client/stakeholder (your instructor) to
further define requirements, if you do not have enough information.
As in many real-world projects, the requirements are the weakest part of the project. The lack of detail
is deliberate to encourage identify what might be missing and then work with the client/customer to fill
in the blanks. Does it seem as though perhaps there is not enough information to complete the project
and the charter? If so, please ask the customer (your instructor).
Now prepare a Project Charter for your project. This document becomes the basic agreement to
describe the project with enough detail that the approximate scope and magnitude is clear and
understandable by both the team and the client/customer or executive sponsor.
Project Charter Contents
Executive Summary
Begin the document with an Executive Summary, which contains:
•
•
•
•
•
A summary of the document’s purpose.
A problem statement (need for the project).
Project objectives and how they align with the business strategy.
The project management approach.
Technical solution (a high-level description of the IT system, which might include a graphic).
This is a Summary, so it should be a paragraph or two, not to exceed one page.
Project Scope
The scope statement expands on the Executive Summary with a clear and concise statement of what the
outcome of the project will be. Although it is the anticipated scope at this time, the intent is to set the
project boundaries as you know them at this time. State (at a high level) what the project will deliver.
Project Charter Fall 2021
Page 1 of 4
Project Charter (Individual project)
You should be able to draw this from the Case Study. Do not over promise here. State what is in scope
(to be delivered) as well as what is not in scope (not to be delivered).
Project Estimates
At a high level, show the estimated project schedule. The easiest to understand is a list (perhaps in table
format) of projected major milestones/deliverables for the project and their forecasted completion
dates. This information is preliminary only, or a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM). Once the project has
been approved to move forward, a comprehensive project plan will be developed
In addition, show the current estimated project costs, as a ROM. Identify the source of the needed
funding, i.e., Software, Hardware, Networking, Internal Resources, Contractor Resources. Include a Total
ROM Budget Estimate.
Primary Stakeholder(s)
List the individual(s) who will use the final product, influence decisions about the project, and (most
importantly) pay for the project.
Project Team
Identify team roles and responsibilities on the project (you can use actual names based on who is in your
group).
Project Constraints and Assumptions
Constraints are any events or circumstances that may restrict or limit a project (and the team’s options).
Examples of constraints are things such as due dates, fixed budget, skill levels, or resource availability.
Assumptions are the driving force that determines project success and they are typically outside the
total control of the project team. Stakeholders must agree on these assumptions to produce a shared
understanding of project success.
Preliminary Risk Statement
List any risks that can be identified from, for example, the project constraints and assumptions. Included
briefly stated (short sentence) risk mitigation strategies.
Preliminary Communication Plan
Lay out the proposed methods of gathering and communicating project progress to the sponsor. This
could include team standups, task progress updates, project status reports, project reviews, project
post-mortem. Also identify the communication frequency, i.e., daily, weekly, at milestones, at end of
project.
Change Threshold
This identifies the magnitude of changes requested by the customer that would exceed the bounds of
the original charter with relation to cost, resources or schedule. Once the threshold is met or exceeded,
a new Project Charter would be required with signature from the customer.
Definition of Project Complete
This is a high-level statement of the criteria that define when the project has been completed. This is
date and funding agnostic. In other words, “End date reached” or “Funding is exhausted” do not define
Project Complete. This statement should present the completed deliverables that evidence a completed
project.
Signatures
This includes signature blocks of the parties that are agreeing to the charter.
Project Charter Fall 2021
Page 2 of 4
Project Charter (Individual project)
Formatting Your Assignment
Consider your audience – you are writing in the role of a project manager and your audience is Mamma
Mia. Do not discuss Mamma’s Bakery as if the reader has no knowledge of the organization. Do not use
the term “case study” – this is terminology used in a classroom and would not be in a business report.
Use third person consistently throughout the report. In third person, the writer avoids the pronouns I,
us, you, your, we, my, and ours. The third person is used to make the writing more objective by taking
the individual, the “self,” out of the writing. This method is very helpful for effective business writing, a
form in which facts, not opinion, drive the tone of the text. Writing in the third person allows the writer
to come across as unbiased and thus more informed.
The format could be modified to improve readability. You could use tables in certain spots, i.e., Project
Estimates. Tables are single-spaced, so that would make the document neater looking.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Create an APA format title page that includes: The title of report (Project Charter), your name,
Course and Section number and date (use assignment due date); do not include graphics or
themes.
No running header required for this document.
The body of the paper should be double spaced, and no longer than 7 pages.
Tables should be single-spaced, and use no shading.
Use 1″ margins on all sides.
Font should be 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point Times
New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point Computer Modern.
Font should remain consistent throughout the paper, i.e., not changing from one font to
another.
Use at least one external reference and one from the course content (from the class reading
content, not the assignment instructions or case study itself) with APA formatted citation and
reference. For information on general APA format and specifics related to citing from the class
content, refer to Content ? Course Resources ? Writing Resources. Resources must not use
Wikipedia, general information sites, blogs, or discussion groups.
The list of References must be its own page at the end of the document and it must be in APA
format, i.e., double spaced, .5″ hanging indent. No more than 10% of the paper may be in the
form of a direct citation from an external source. All in-text citations must appear in the
References list and all entries in the References list must be used as in-text citations.
Run Microsoft Word’s grammar/spell checker; there should be no errors in grammar, verb
tenses, pronouns, spelling, punctuation, first person usage, or contractions.
If headings are used, do not leave blank lines after the previous section, and do not use subheaders.
Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word.
Submit this assignment in your Assignments folder.
IMPORTANT: The submission file should be named as “LastnameFirstname” ” Assignment Name”, such
as – MylastnameMyfirstname Project Charter.docx
Project Charter Fall 2021
Page 3 of 4
Project Charter (Individual project)
Grading Rubric
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
< 60% Far Above Standards Above Standards Meets Standards Below Standards Well Below Standards Criteria Executive Summary Provides a brief overview of the Project Charter and is the first thing your reader will see. Project Charter The basic agreement describing the project in enough detail that the approximate scope and magnitude is clear and understandable by both the team and the client/customer or executive sponsor. Research Use at least 2 references from academically credible sources with APA formatted citation (intext). Format Uses format provided. Includes Title Page and References Page. Project Charter Fall 2021 14-15 Points 12-13 Points 10-11 Points 8-9 Points 0-7 Points Contains all five of the specified Executive Summary elements, accurately summarizes the Charter, and is no more than two paragraphs. Contains four of the specified Executive Summary elements, somewhat summarizes the Charter, and is no more than two paragraphs. Contains three or four of the specified Executive Summary elements, refers to the Charter, or is more than two paragraphs. Contains one or two of the specified Executive Summary elements, wanders off topic, or exceeds the specified length. No Executive Summary included, or does not include any specified elements. 41-45 Points 36-40 Points 32-35 Points 27-31 Points 0-26 Points Contains all ten of the specified Project Charter elements, clearly laying out the size and cost of the project, and is no more than seven pages. Contains eight or nine of the specified Project Charter elements, giving an idea of the size and cost of the project, and is no more than seven pages. Contains six or seven of the specified Project Charter elements, giving some idea of the magnitude of the project, and is no more than seven pages. Contains up to five of the specified Project Charter elements, talks at a high level about the project, or exceeds the specified length. Most of the specified Project Charter elements are missing, or do not follow the assignment guidelines, and/or exceeds the specified length. 18-20 Points 16-17 Points 14-15 Points 12-13 Points 0-11 Points Required references are incorporated, used effectively, and cited using APA style. References used are relevant and timely and contribute strongly to the analysis. Required references are relevant, and somewhat support the analysis. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style. Only one reference is used and properly incorporated, and/or reference(s) lack correct APA style. A reference may be used, but is not properly incorporated or used, and/or is not effective or appropriate, and/or does not follow APA style for references and citations. No course content or external research incorporated, or reference listed is not cited within the text. 18-20 Points 16-17 Points 14-15 Points 12-13 Points 0-11 Points Well organized and easy to read. Very few or no errors in sentence structure, grammar, or spelling; doublespaced, written in third person, and presented in a professional format. Effective organization. Has few errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; double-spaced, written in third person, and presented in a professional format. Some organization. May have some errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; double spaced and written in third person. Not well organized, and/or contains several errors in grammar and/or spelling, and/or is not double-spaced and written in third person. Not well organized, and/or contains several errors in grammar and/or spelling, and/or is not double-spaced and written in third person. Page 4 of 4 Criterion Score 15 45 20 20 The Shoppe Mamma Mia has been the primary baker and bakery owner since its opening 15 years ago. The bakery is is a walk-up-and-order configuration with no seating space, one of a dozen shops in a strip mall in Alexandria, Virginia. The bakery currently employs one other baker and two wait staff who serve customers at the counter. All paperwork, bookkeeping, ordering supplies, hiring and firing, and tracking inventory is done by Mamma. Because the bakery is now a small operation, Mamma does all business using telephone and paper documents. There is one cash register and Mamma uses cash or check to buy all bakery goods. Future Plans Because the bakery has grown more successful over the years, Mamma Mia has decided that the time is right to expand the bakery. The store space next door is vacant, and she has signed a contract to connect and remodel the two stores. This space will more than double the size of the current bakery, and Mamma Mia can then offer bakery items, sandwiches, and café-type seating. When the expansion construction is complete, Mamma Mia expects to hire six more people full time: • • • • • Two food-service certified sandwich makers One more baker One more counter server One person to track inventory and order supplies One person to manage the bookkeeping, bill paying, and finance parts of the business To coincide with the expansion, Mamma would like to have an IT system installed for point-of-sale, inventory, and bookkeeping purposes. Mamma would like the system to "connect" to her suppliers, the health department (see vdh.virginia.gov) for food services, and other business relationships. She would also like a website so her customers can make advance orders for pick-up. Related to that, she would like the system to process debit and credit cards. Mamma Mia wants an IT system that will be: • • • Modern Easy to use Employee and customer friendly Most of all, Mamma wants the system to make her bakery and sandwich shop more efficient. Mamma Mia Case Study Fall 2021 Page 1 of 2 Your Task Imagine that your team works for a company that specializes in the design, development, and installation of information technology (IT) systems. Because of this experience, Mamma has selected your company to plan, perform and manage this project. Your team's assignment will be to prepare the project plan and proposal for installing Mamma's new IT system. Your team's charge is to build a project plan that demonstrates the ability to plan, manage and control the project of designing and installing the IT system for Mamma. Team members will be assigned as resources for the hands-on technical IT work of the project. Challenges The requirements are pretty general, so you will need to use creative thinking and decision skills to develop the specifics of what the client needs (hardware, software, PCs, servers, networking, cabling, wireless, application systems, Web sites, Cloud storage, what?) and the scope (how much, how many, how, and for whom?) and extent thereof. You will need to refine Mamma's needs by working directly with her. Mamma has little experience working with computers and IT systems. She feels a bit "old fashioned" but she is willing to learn and wants to be sure that her employees learn, too, how to work with the IT system. Mamma is your point of contact and the person you will work with while completing the requirements, design, and implementation of the IT system. This means you will need to define and explain terms as you work with her (Your instructor will fill in for Mamma). Final Notes • • • • • • • • • Mamma Mia is the major stakeholder There is no networking, LAN, or Internet installed You may clarify requirements with Mamma Mia The Bakery Shoppe has no productivity software or other applications Mamma's budget for the IT system is $100,000 Internet connectivity is available in the area, whether via ISP or satellite Mamma has little IT experience and no IT staff The IT team should have 6-8 members, real or fictional Mamma wants the project to complete in no more than 6 months Mamma Mia Case Study Fall 2021 Page 2 of 2