# Project Charter

> Draft a project or program charter for a kickoff — problem statement, goals, scope (in/out), success metrics, stakeholders, milestones, and risks. Use when the user says "write a charter", "kick off a project", "create a project brief", "we're starting a new initiative", or needs a one-page alignment doc before work begins.

- Skill: `janellecipriano/project-charter` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add janellecipriano/project-charter`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/janellecipriano/project-charter/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: janellecipriano (https://skillmd.com/u/janellecipriano)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/janellecipriano/project-charter

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# Project Charter

Produce a clear, one-page charter that gets a team and its stakeholders aligned before work starts.

## When to use
- A new project, program, or workstream is starting and needs scope + alignment.
- A stalled effort needs to be (re)framed and re-aligned.

Not for: detailed requirements (use `prd-review`/PRD), or ongoing status (use `status-report`).

## Inputs to gather
Ask only for what's missing; infer the rest from context and state your assumptions:
- The problem and who has it; why now.
- Desired outcome and how success will be measured.
- Known scope, constraints, deadline, and budget/headcount.
- Sponsor, lead, and key contributors.

## Process
1. Sharpen the **problem statement** to one or two sentences — the pain, not the solution.
2. State 2–4 **goals** as outcomes, and 2–4 **success metrics** that are measurable (baseline → target).
3. Define **scope** explicitly: what's in, and — just as important — what's out.
4. List **stakeholders** with roles (sponsor, lead, contributors, informed). Use RACI if helpful.
5. Lay out **milestones** with target dates and a clear definition of done for the project.
6. Capture top **risks/assumptions** and any **dependencies**.

## Output format
Use the structure in [templates/charter-template.md](templates/charter-template.md). Keep it to one page. Mark every assumption explicitly and flag the 2–3 open questions that most need answers to proceed.

