Page 103 - Project+

Constraints are anything that either restricts or dictates the actions of the project

team. For example, you may have a hard due date that can’t be moved. If you’re
developing a trade show event that occurs on September 25, this date is a constraint on
the project because you can’t move it. Budgets, technology, scope, quality, and direct
orders from upper management are all examples of constraints.

The term triple constraint is one you’ll hear often in project management

circles. The triple constraints are time, scope, and cost, all of which affect quality.

High-Level Risks

Risks pose either opportunities or threats to the project. Most of the time, we think of
risks as having negative impacts and consequences.

You should include a list of high-level risks in the project charter. These may cover a
wide range of possibilities, including budget risks, scheduling risks, project
management process risks, political risks, legal risks, management risks, and so on.

The difference between a risk and a constraint is that a constraint is a limitation that
currently exists. A risk is a potential future event that could impact the project.
Beginning the project with a hard due date of September 25 is a constraint. The
potential for a vendor missing an important delivery on September 15 is a risk.

Other Contents

Other elements you should describe in your charter include the name and authority

level of the project manager, the name of the project sponsor, and any team members
you’ve committed ahead of time to serve on the project team.

Criteria for Approval

Last but not least, the project charter should outline the criteria for project approval.
Think of this as the definition for a successful project. These criteria will be used to
determine whether the deliverables and the final product, service, or result of the

project are acceptable and satisfactory. They might include items such as quality
criteria, performance criteria, fitness for use, and so on. This section should also
describe the process that stakeholders will use to indicate their acceptance of the
deliverables.

Formal Approval

The project sponsor should review and sign the project charter. This sign-off provides
the project manager with the authority to move forward, and it serves as the official
notification of the start of the project. This approval is usually required prior to the
release of purchase orders or the commitment by functional managers to provide

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