Project Charters: What They’re Meant to Do vs What They Actually Do​

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Every project has a charter.

It’s approved.
It’s signed.
It’s archived.

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And then the project proceeds as if it never existed.

This field guide is about project charters as they actually function — not as authority-granting instruments, but as symbolic artifacts that promise clarity without guaranteeing it.

What Project Charters Are Supposed to Do

In theory, the project charter exists to:

• Authorize the project

• Define scope and objectives

• Assign authority to the PM

• Establish sponsorship and accountability

It is meant to answer a simple question:

Who owns this work, and what are they empowered to do?

When charters work, they create alignment early and reduce ambiguity later.

When they don’t, they become paperwork.

How Charters Are Commonly Used in Practice

In real projects, charters are often created:

• To satisfy governance requirements

• To pass an approval gate

• To signal that a project “exists”

They are written early, when:

• Understanding is shallow

• Assumptions are optimistic

• Political realities are unspoken

The document is approved —
but the understanding is provisional.

The Illusion of Authority

Many charters state that the PM has authority.

Few environments actually grant it.

The charter may say:

• The PM controls scope

• The PM manages change

• The PM escalates risks

Reality often says otherwise.

Authority lives with sponsors, committees, or informal power structures — not with the document that claims to assign it.

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Charters as Alignment Theatre

Like status reports, charters can become performative.

They:

• Create the appearance of agreement

• Capture language everyone can tolerate

• Avoid specifics that might cause friction

The charter doesn’t resolve disagreement.
It documents a temporary truce.

When pressure increases, the truce collapses.

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Why Charters Age So Poorly

Charters are static.
Projects are not.

As delivery begins:

• Scope evolves

• Risks surface

• Stakeholders re-prioritize

The charter stays frozen in a moment that no longer exists.

Referencing it later feels awkward —
like quoting a promise everyone quietly forgot.

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When Charters Are Weaponized

In stressed projects, charters reappear.

They’re used to:

• Deflect accountability

• Justify constraints

• Prove compliance after the fact

The same document that failed to guide decisions is suddenly used to judge them.

This isn’t governance.
It’s retrospective control.

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What Charters Actually Do Well

Despite their limitations, charters serve a real purpose.

They:

• Reveal early assumptions

• Capture political compromise

• Signal intent — even if not commitment

A charter won’t protect delivery.
But it can expose where protection was never real.

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How Experienced PMs Use Charters Differently

Experienced PMs don’t treat charters as authority.

They treat them as:

• Conversation starters

• Alignment probes

• Reference points for escalation

They know the charter’s value isn’t in enforcement —
it’s in what happens when reality contradicts it.

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A Charter Is a Signal, Not a Shield

Charters don’t fail because they’re poorly written.

They fail because:

• Authority isn’t actually aligned

• Accountability isn’t shared

• Reality moves faster than agreement

The charter records intent.
Delivery tests it.

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“Charters often promise clarity in environments where responsibility is already fragmented.”

➡ Project Roles & Responsibility Gaps
 

➡ Governance vs Delivery: When Process Becomes Protection​

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