What is it, and why use it?
A project charter is a compact agreement about the problem, goal, scope, ownership and measures of an improvement project.
It makes the work accountable and gives the team a reference when priorities or assumptions change.
Explore the Project Charter features and local-file workflowWhen to use it
Use it before committing time to a project or when an existing improvement has lost focus.
When another tool fits better
Use SMART Goals for several individual goals. Use A3 for a fuller evidence-based story as the investigation develops.
Before you start
- Evidence of the present problem and who experiences it.
- A sponsor, process owner and people who can contribute.
- A baseline measure and a feasible review date.
Use fictional or approved non-sensitive information. Do not include patient details or proprietary records in practice worksheets.
Step-by-step in CI Tools
Describe the Problem statement with a population, period and observed gap; do not start with a predetermined solution.
Complete the goal and business case, explaining the benefit in terms the process owner understands.
Define in-scope and out-of-scope work, roles, dates and the measures the team will review.
Check the charter with stakeholders and resolve incompatible scope or goal statements.
Save a local editable copy and revisit it when new evidence changes the project assumptions.
Separate a problem from a proposed solution
“Install a new system” is an action, not an observed problem. State the unwanted outcome, its frequency and its consequences, then test possible explanations before committing to an intervention.
Completed worked examples
Demonstrations only: all organizations, observations, targets and results below are fictional. They are not clinical instructions or universal performance standards.
Healthcare operations — fictional
Referral rework project
Starting information: A fictional service reviewed 100 referrals in April and found 30 needed missing information.
| Problem | 30 of 100 referrals required follow-up before scheduling |
|---|---|
| Goal | Reduce the rework rate from 30% to 15% by 30 September |
| Scope | Referral intake only; exclude clinical prioritization |
What the result means: The charter names a measurable operational problem. The proposed target still needs feasibility review; it is not proof a specific form change will succeed.
General business — fictional
Invoice correction project
Starting information: A fictional distributor found 18 corrected invoices among 120 issued in a month.
| Problem / baseline | 18/120 = 15% needed correction |
|---|---|
| Goal | Reach 8% or lower over the next three monthly reviews |
| Ownership | Accounts lead sponsors; billing team tests changes |
What the result means: Use a consistent correction definition across reviews. Excluding inconvenient cases after the project starts would distort the baseline.
Practise in a separate worksheet
Open the tool’s built-in synthetic sample as a new editable worksheet. It may differ from the worked demonstrations above. It never replaces an existing worksheet. Save any work you want to retain to your computer.
Open built-in practice worksheetYou’ll be asked to log in if needed. No worksheet is created just by reading this page.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Embedding the answer in the problem: investigate before selecting a solution.
- Writing an unlimited scope: state exclusions explicitly.
- Choosing a deadline without ownership or baseline: agree all three together.
Interpret the result
A good charter makes decisions easier: does a proposed activity address this problem, serve this population and fit this scope? Revise assumptions transparently rather than moving the goal after seeing results.
Record the assumptions and unanswered questions alongside the result. Use the relevant local review process before making operational decisions.
Credible further learning
These independent educational resources explain the methods. They do not endorse CI Tools Suite. Some external resources have their own access requirements.
- ASQ: Quality tools and templates (external resource)
- IHI: Quality Improvement Essentials Toolkit (external resource)
Resource links reviewed 29 October 2026. Our interface instructions and fictional examples are original CI Tools learning material.
Put the method into practice
Start a new worksheet, use the guide beside your work and keep an editable .citools copy on your computer.
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