Who must approve the charter

The charter should be approved by the designated executive sponsor and the PMO governance board or steering committee. Include signatures from sponsor, PMO director, and any statutory approvers; confirm delegated authority aligns with organizational policy and financial thresholds.

Can a charter be signed electronically

Yes. Electronic signatures that meet ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA standards are generally valid. For regulated records follow required disclosures and use platforms that retain auditable trails and authentication evidence.

Is notarization required for a charter

Typically no for an internal PMO Charter, but state or industry rules may require notarization when the charter affects property, statutory filings, or third-party legal obligations. Verify with counsel or the applicable state notary authority.

How long should signed charters be retained

Retain the signed charter for its active term plus a minimum of three years. Follow applicable federal or industry rules—IRS baseline (IRC §6501(a)) and HIPAA six-year retention for health records—when regulated data is involved.

What if assigned roles change after approval

Issue an amendment or a new charter version, document the change, and obtain approvals consistent with original sign-off authority. Maintain version history and notify affected stakeholders rather than relying on informal emails.

How should disputes over governance be handled

Use the charter’s escalation matrix and dispute-resolution clauses. Escalate unresolved issues to the governance board or executive sponsor, document all steps taken, and preserve records for potential audit or legal review.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Project Management
Project Management PMO Charter

Project Management PMO Charter

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

PROJECT MANAGEMENT PMO CHARTER

Project Identification

Project Title:

Project ID: Client Name:

Client Primary Contact Service Provider (Organization) Project Manager (Provider) PMO Sponsor (Client)

Executive Summary

This PMO Charter establishes authority, scope, governance, and responsibilities for delivery of the Project. The PMO shall operate under the governance and acceptance criteria described below and will manage deliverables, risks, budget, schedule, and change control on behalf of the parties.

Scope of Work

In-Scope Out-of-Scope

Project Objectives and Success Criteria

Deliverables and Acceptance

Deliverable 1 — Title:

Deliverable 1 — Description Deliverable 1 — Acceptance Criteria

Deliverable 2 — Title:

Deliverable 2 — Description Deliverable 2 — Acceptance Criteria

Timeline and Milestones

Planned Start Date: Planned End Date:

Milestone 1

Due Date: Owner:

Milestone 2

Due Date: Owner:

Budget and Payment

Total Project Budget Payment Schedule Change Order Process

All changes affecting scope, schedule or budget that exceed: must be documented by a written change order. Change orders require written approval by the Client PM and the Service Provider PM prior to work commencement.

Change Order Contact

Governance, Roles & Responsibilities

Client Project Lead Service Provider PMO Lead

Risk, Assumptions & Constraints

Confidentiality

Each party shall maintain the confidentiality of the other party's non-public information disclosed in connection with the Project and shall not disclose such information to third parties except as required by law or with prior written consent. Confidential information shall be used solely for performance under this Charter. The obligations of confidentiality survive termination of this Charter for a period of three years.

Acceptance and Closeout

Acceptance of deliverables shall be evidenced by formal written sign-off by the Client Project Lead within calendar days after submission of required evidence. Unless otherwise specified in the deliverable acceptance criteria, acceptance testing and defect remediation timelines shall be defined in the deliverable documentation.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

This Charter shall be governed by the laws of: . In the event of disputes arising from this Charter, the parties agree to attempt escalation and negotiation in good faith prior to initiating formal legal proceedings.

Reporting and Communication

Signatures

Client:

By:

Date:

Service Provider:

By:

Date:

What the Project Management PMO Charter Is and Why It Matters

The Project Management PMO Charter is a formal internal document that establishes the Project Management Office’s authority, scope, and operational boundaries within an organization. It describes the PMO’s mission, governance structure, decision-making authority, reporting cadence, resource allocation principles, and the key performance indicators used to measure PMO effectiveness. The charter aligns stakeholders on intake and prioritization rules, defines approval thresholds and escalation paths, and serves as the canonical reference for portfolio, program, and project governance across the enterprise.

Why a Clear PMO Charter Improves Project Outcomes

A well‑defined Project Management PMO Charter reduces confusion, shortens approval cycles, and supports consistent prioritization by documenting governance, roles, and measurable objectives across projects.

Who Typically Creates and Uses a PMO Charter

Primary users include PMO leaders, portfolio managers, program directors, and executive sponsors responsible for governance and resource decisions.

PMO directors who set governance, approve charters, and ensure alignment across programs and projects.
Executive sponsors who authorize scope, allocate funding, and resolve escalations affecting project delivery.
Portfolio managers who prioritize initiatives, measure performance, and align projects with strategic objectives.

Stakeholders across PMO, IT, Finance, and HR should review the charter before final approval to reduce conflicts and align expectations.

Representative Roles That Rely on the Charter

PMO Director

The PMO Director owns development and maintenance of the PMO Charter, coordinates executive review, and enforces governance standards. This role defines approval thresholds, escalation paths, and reporting cadence, and ensures the charter aligns with strategic goals and resource constraints.

Project Sponsor

The Project Sponsor endorses the charter’s authority for projects in their domain, clarifies expected outcomes, and confirms funding. Sponsors participate in governance decisions, approve exceptions, and support change control when scope or resource allocations shift during execution.

Essential Sections to Include in a Professional PMO Charter

A comprehensive Project Management PMO Charter lays out the PMO’s purpose, governance framework, roles, processes, portfolio criteria, and performance metrics to standardize delivery and oversight.

Purpose & Scope

State the PMO’s mission, the scope of oversight, and boundaries between portfolio, program, and project responsibilities to avoid role overlap and set expectations for work intake and prioritization.

Governance

Describe approval authorities, escalation matrices, decision gates, change control procedures, and voting or consensus rules used to approve projects and allocate resources across the portfolio.

Roles & Responsibilities

List PMO roles, sponsor responsibilities, project manager duties, and stakeholder obligations, including who signs off at each stage and who executes project controls and reporting.

Processes & Standards

Define lifecycle methodology, intake forms, prioritization criteria, templates, quality gates, and standardized reporting formats to ensure repeatable project execution.

Portfolio Criteria

Specify strategic alignment scoring, financial thresholds, resource constraints, and benefits realization targets used to accept, defer, or retire initiatives.

Performance Metrics

Identify KPIs such as schedule variance, cost variance, benefits realization, resource utilization, and governance compliance metrics with reporting frequency and owners.

Step-by-Step: Drafting, Reviewing, Approving, and Publishing

A concise step-by-step method ensures the charter is drafted, reviewed, approved, and published with clear accountability and version control.

01

Draft: Assemble objectives, scope, and governance clauses.
02

Review: Circulate to PMO stakeholders for feedback.
03

Approve: Obtain executive sponsor signatures and formal approvals.
04

Publish: Distribute final charter and store official copy.

Configuring an Electronic Approval Workflow for the Charter

Set up a repeatable digital workflow to route the charter through reviewers, capture signatures, and retain an auditable record.

Field	Configuration
Template	Standard PMO Charter template with placeholders
Approval Order	PMO Director \| Executive Sponsor \| CIO
Notifications	Email and in-platform alerts to reviewers
Access Controls	Role-based edit rights for PMO team only

How Electronic Submission and Signing Works for the Charter

Typical eSubmission flow for approving the PMO Charter combines document upload, field placement, reviewer routing, signing, and archival.

Upload Document: Add final draft to the eSignature platform.
Place Fields: Insert signature, initials, and date fields.
Route to Reviewers: Set signer order and required approvers.
Sign & Archive: Signers apply eSignatures; system stores audit trail.

Platform and Format Considerations for eSigning the Charter

The PMO Charter can be shared and signed via multiple platforms; choose a solution that meets your authentication, integration, and recordkeeping needs.

Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Microsoft 365, and other enterprise connectors
File Formats: PDF, Word DOCX, HTML, and Excel supported
Authentication: Email, SMS, KBA, and SSO options available

Key Dates and Deadlines to Track

Key dates and deadlines help ensure the PMO Charter moves through review and approval without unnecessary delays or missed governance milestones.

Draft Completion Date:

Target date to finish initial charter draft.

Stakeholder Review Window:

Allow two weeks for comments and revisions.

Executive Approval Deadline:

Deadline for sponsor and executive signatures.

Publication Date:

Date charter becomes official and effective.

First Review Cycle:

Scheduled review three months after publication.

Milestone Sequence from Draft to Enforcement

Sequence the charter lifecycle into clear stages to track progress from drafting through governance and continuous improvement.

01

Stage 1 — Initiation

Define scope, objectives, and initial stakeholder list.

02

Stage 2 — Drafting

Develop sections, processes, roles, and templates.

03

Stage 3 — Approval

Secure sponsor and executive sign-off on the document.

04

Stage 4 — Implementation

Publish charter and start enforcement of governance rules.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Preparing the Charter

Overly broad scope that tries to control all projects leads to resistance from business units and reduces PMO effectiveness; keep scope focused and pragmatic.
Vague roles and sign-off authorities cause confusion and repeated approvals; specify exact decision rights, thresholds, and backup approvers in the charter.
Skipping stakeholder review or limiting feedback to a small group increases rejection risk; include cross-functional reviewers and record responses to comments.
Failing to tie charter outcomes to measurable KPIs prevents effective oversight; include schedule, cost, and benefits metrics with owners and reporting cadence.

Consequences of an Incomplete or Incorrect Charter

Contract disputes: Ambiguity can lead to litigation

Project delays: Missing approvals cause schedule slippage

Financial exposure: Unapproved changes increase costs

Regulatory noncompliance: HIPAA or state rules violations

Loss of authority: Managers may lose decision rights

Audit findings: Negative internal or external audit results

Security and Compliance Considerations

Encryption in transit: TLS 1.2/1.3 enforced

Encryption at rest: AES-256 encryption for stored data

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001

Regulatory compliance: ESIGN, UETA, HIPAA (BAA)

Audit capabilities: Detailed tamper-evident audit trails

Accessibility: WCAG 2.0 Level AA

eSignature Pricing and Feature Comparison for Charter Approvals

Compare common plan features and starting prices from major providers to match authentication, volume, and compliance needs when executing a PMO Charter.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year limit	Varies	Varies	Varies

Two Practical Examples of Charter Use

Two practical examples show how a PMO Charter clarifies decision rights and streamlines project intake across different organizations.

Construction PMO

A mid-size construction firm needed consistent intake and stricter change control to reduce costly rework.

Introduced charter with approval thresholds and lien-waiver workflows.
The PMO Charter defined approval gates, delegated authority to project managers, and mandated documentation for change orders, cutting downstream disputes and improving schedule adherence; compliance with the charter became a condition for contractor payments.

Healthcare System

A regional health system centralised project intake to protect PHI and prioritize EHR initiatives aligned with regulatory timelines.

Charter mandated HIPAA controls and retention rules.
By embedding HIPAA requirements and a defined approval chain, the charter ensured privacy controls were reviewed during intake, reduced duplicated effort, and created a single source of truth for project accountability across clinical and IT stakeholders.

FAQs — Common Questions About the PMO Charter

Answers to common questions about preparing, approving, and storing a Project Management PMO Charter, including signing and retention considerations.

Need help? Contact support

Who must approve the charter
The charter should be approved by the designated executive sponsor and the PMO governance board or steering committee. Include signatures from sponsor, PMO director, and any statutory approvers; confirm delegated authority aligns with organizational policy and financial thresholds.
Can a charter be signed electronically
Yes. Electronic signatures that meet ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA standards are generally valid. For regulated records follow required disclosures and use platforms that retain auditable trails and authentication evidence.
Is notarization required for a charter
Typically no for an internal PMO Charter, but state or industry rules may require notarization when the charter affects property, statutory filings, or third-party legal obligations. Verify with counsel or the applicable state notary authority.
How long should signed charters be retained
Retain the signed charter for its active term plus a minimum of three years. Follow applicable federal or industry rules—IRS baseline (IRC §6501(a)) and HIPAA six-year retention for health records—when regulated data is involved.
What if assigned roles change after approval
Issue an amendment or a new charter version, document the change, and obtain approvals consistent with original sign-off authority. Maintain version history and notify affected stakeholders rather than relying on informal emails.
How should disputes over governance be handled
Use the charter’s escalation matrix and dispute-resolution clauses. Escalate unresolved issues to the governance board or executive sponsor, document all steps taken, and preserve records for potential audit or legal review.

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