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The first pages of the One-Page Project Charter template

One-Page Project Charter

Document template for Google Docs and Word

Make a copy in Google Docs
Type
Document
Price
Free
Pages
2 · US Letter
Style
Corporate
Difficulty
Beginner
Updated
October 30, 2026

Every page (2)

Overview

Small teams rarely need a 20-page charter, but they do need agreement on why the project exists, what it will achieve and what it will not touch. This template compresses the charter onto one page: headline figures, four numbered terms and a sign-off band, with a guide page to follow.

The sample charters a quote-turnaround project at Marlowe Green Works: a $120,000 budget with a plus or minus 10% cost tolerance, a cut from 6 days to 2 days, six team members and five dated milestones to September 30, 2027. Replace the purpose, measures, scope, dates and signatures with your own.

Useful for

  • A small team agreeing purpose, scope and tolerances before work and spending begin
  • A project manager who needs a printed mandate to pin up and re-read at each stage gate
  • A sponsor signing off a modest project without a full project initiation document

What's included

  • Headline figures for budget authority, the main measure and team size
  • Four numbered terms covering the goal, scope in and out, the team and the milestones
  • Sign-off band for the sponsor and project manager with date and version
  • Budget tolerance of plus or minus 10% cost and 2 weeks schedule before escalation
  • Make-it-yours guide with five steps for replacing the sample content

How to use it

  1. 1

    Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.

  2. 2

    Write the purpose as a single sentence a stranger could understand, then name the sponsor and project manager.

  3. 3

    Replace the goal with a measure that has a baseline, a target and a date, and list what is out of scope using the requests you have already heard.

  4. 4

    Set the budget and tolerance figures to match your delegated authority, then enter the milestones and collect signatures with the date and version.

  5. 5

    Delete the guide page, then print or share the charter with your team.

What you need

Requirements

  • A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

What should a one-page charter include?

The purpose, a measurable goal, what is in and out of scope, the team and roles, the key dates, the budget with its tolerances, and the signatures of the people who authorize it.

Why list what is out of scope?

Out-of-scope items are the ones that cause disputes later. Naming the requests you have already heard, and who decides on changes, makes the charter useful when scope is questioned.

Are the organization and figures real?

No. Marlowe Green Works, its people and every figure in this template are fictional sample data, written so you can see a finished charter before you replace it.

  • #project-charter
  • #one-page-charter
  • #project-management
  • #small-team
  • #scope
  • #sign-off
  • #google-docs

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