This Project Charter example shows how Alex Morgan, Project Manager at MCG (Marketing Consulting Group), formally authorized a corporate website launch using the PMBOK Guide 8th Edition. Unlike a blank template, this document is fully completed — with real objectives, a $72,250 approved budget, team structure, governance model, and formal sponsor sign-off. Use it as a reference to understand how a real project charter looks before writing your own.

About This Project Charter Example

Project Phoenix is a complete, realistic project scenario created to help project managers understand how PMBOK 8 outputs work in practice. MCG — a marketing consulting firm — needed a new corporate website to modernize its digital presence and grow qualified leads by 40%. The project ran from March 17 to June 13, 2025, with a six-person team: Alex Morgan (PM), Priya Patel (Design Lead), Sam Lee and John Tran (Developers), Maya Chen (Marketing/QA), and Tom Nguyen (QA Lead). Sponsored by Riley Park (COO), the project was delivered on time and $10,000 under its approved budget of $72,250.

This project charter example is one of 62 documents generated for Project Phoenix — all consistent and interconnected, so you can see how each output relates to the others throughout the project lifecycle.

What This Project Charter Example Covers

This fully filled project charter example includes all sections required by the PMBOK 8th Edition Governance Performance Domain:

• Project Authorization — Formally recognizes the MCG Website Launch Project and grants Alex Morgan authority to apply organizational resources
• SMART Objectives — Three measurable objectives: 40% increase in qualified leads, $180,000 in new revenue within 12 months, and a PageSpeed score of 90+
• Budget Summary — $72,250 approved ($62,102 base + $9,148 contingency reserve), approved by Riley Park on March 1, 2025
• Governance Structure — Three-tier model: Sponsor (Riley Park), PM (Alex Morgan), and a six-person cross-functional team with clear escalation paths
• Development Approach — Predictive methodology with four milestone gates: Design Approval, Architecture Freeze, UAT Complete, and Go-Live
• High-Level Risks — Five key risks identified at initiation: vendor dependency, IT coordination, content delivery delay, scope creep, and resource availability
• Sustainability Considerations — Green hosting (SiteGround renewable energy), WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance, and a remote-first team to reduce carbon footprint
• Formal Approvals — Signed approval table with date and role for each approver

Every section connects the project to MCG's strategic goal of growing digital revenue — reflecting the PMBOK 8 principle of Focus on Value.

How to Use This Project Charter Example

The most effective way to use this project charter example is to read it alongside the blank template. Identify which sections apply to your project, then adapt the language, structure, and level of detail to your own context. Pay particular attention to the SMART objectives table and the governance structure — these are the sections most often underwritten in real projects.

Notice how each objective includes a measurable target, a responsible owner, and a time-bound delivery date. The governance model specifies exactly who has authority to approve changes, resolve issues, and escalate risks — which prevents confusion during execution. If your project uses an Agile or Hybrid approach instead of Predictive, the charter structure remains the same. The project charter authorizes the project regardless of methodology.

Download the Template and Deepen Your Knowledge

Ready to write your own project charter? Download the blank Project Charter Template (PMBOK 8) and use this example as your guide.

• Download the Project Charter Template — PMBOK 8 (blank, ready to use)
• Read the full guide: Project Charter in PMBOK 8 — Purpose, Sections, and Best Practices

This project charter example is part of a collection of 62 example documents from Project Phoenix — a complete, end-to-end PMBOK 8 project scenario. Each document is filled with realistic, consistent data from the same project, showing how outputs from one phase feed into the next. Download the full collection to accelerate your learning and bring more value to your projects.

Want to go deeper? The PMBOK Guide 8th Edition is the definitive reference for modern project management. Get your copy and use it alongside these examples to build a solid, practical understanding of every performance domain.

Format: Microsoft Word (.docx) | Project: Website Launch | PMBOK Edition: 8th (2025) | Domain: Governance