Project Charter

Project Charter

Define the project charter for "$ARGUMENTS". Establish the project's purpose and vision, set measurable objectives, define scope boundaries, identify constraints and assumptions, and outline an initial timeline with milestones.

Prerequisites

None — this is a Phase 0 (Initiate) skill and can run first.

Process

1. Read shared context:

   • Read plugins/project-management/shared/project-charter-template.md for charter structure
   • Read plugins/project-management/shared/scrum-guide.md for Scrum alignment
   • Read .project/$ARGUMENTS/00-initiate.md if it exists (to avoid overwriting other sections)

2. Define project purpose and vision:

   • Articulate the problem being solved and why it matters now
   • Write a clear, concise vision statement (1-2 sentences)
   • Identify the target users or beneficiaries
   • State the expected business value or impact

3. Set measurable objectives:

   • Define 3-5 SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
   • For each objective: metric, baseline, target, target date
   • Distinguish between primary objectives (must-achieve) and stretch goals
   • Ensure objectives ladder up to the vision

4. Define scope — in and out:

   • In scope: features, deliverables, and capabilities included
   • Out of scope: explicitly excluded items to prevent scope creep
   • Deferred: items intentionally pushed to future phases
   • Document the rationale for each scope decision

5. Identify constraints and assumptions:

   • Constraints: budget, timeline, technology, regulatory, staffing
   • Assumptions: market conditions, dependencies, resource availability
   • Dependencies: external teams, third-party services, approvals needed
   • Flag high-risk assumptions that need early validation

6. Outline high-level timeline and milestones:

   • Define major milestones with target dates
   • Identify the critical path and key decision points
   • Map milestones to sprint boundaries where possible
   • Include go/no-go checkpoints

7. Initial risk identification:

   • Brainstorm top 5-10 risks using categories: technical, schedule, resource, external
   • For each risk: likelihood (high/medium/low), impact (high/medium/low), mitigation strategy
   • Identify risk owners where possible
   • Flag risks that could be project-ending

8. Write the artifact — append to .project/$ARGUMENTS/00-initiate.md under a ## Project Charter section:

   • Vision — problem statement, vision, target users
   • Objectives — SMART objectives table with metrics and targets
   • Scope — in-scope, out-of-scope, deferred items
   • Constraints & Assumptions — categorized list with risk flags
   • Milestones — timeline with key dates and checkpoints
   • Initial Risks — risk register with likelihood, impact, mitigation

Output

Project charter appended to .project/$ARGUMENTS/00-initiate.md. Present a summary highlighting:

• Project purpose and vision statement
• Top 3 objectives with target metrics
• Key scope decisions (what's in vs. out)