Team Charter
A team charter is a document that establishes the team values, agreements, and operating guidelines, including communication guidelines, decision-making criteria, conflict resolution processes, meeting guidelines, and team agreements.
Explanation
The team charter is an output of the Plan Resource Management process and serves as a foundational document for how the team will work together. It is created early in the project and establishes expectations that reduce misunderstandings and conflict later. The charter is developed collaboratively by the team members, which builds buy-in and commitment.\n\nA well-crafted team charter typically includes ground rules for meetings, communication norms, decision-making approaches, conflict resolution methods, and working agreements. It may also cover how the team will handle disagreements, how members will support each other, and what behaviors are expected. In agile environments, these agreements are often called working agreements or team norms.\n\nThe team charter is distinct from the project charter. The project charter authorizes the project and defines its high-level scope, while the team charter focuses on how team members will interact and collaborate. Revisiting and updating the team charter periodically helps maintain team alignment as the project evolves.
Key Points
- •Output of Plan Resource Management
- •Establishes team values, ground rules, and operating guidelines
- •Developed collaboratively to build team buy-in
- •Covers communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution norms
Exam Tip
Do not confuse the team charter with the project charter. The project charter authorizes the project; the team charter defines how the team will work together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Plan Resource Management
Plan Resource Management is the process of defining how to estimate, acquire, manage, and use team and physical resources for a project.
Develop Team
Develop Team is the process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and the overall team environment to enhance project performance.
Conflict Management
Conflict management is the practice of identifying and handling conflicts in a timely, constructive manner to minimize negative impacts and leverage disagreement for improved outcomes.
Project Charter
A project charter is a document issued by the project sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
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