BtC09: The Charter: The One Map Everyone Needs but No One Reads
In this episode of Beyond the Capex, Cristian and Luis dive deep into one of the most underrated — yet absolutely essential — tools in industrial projects: the project charter. If you’ve ever joined a project and thought, “Wait… what exactly are we trying to do here?”, this episode is for you.
The project charter is the map that gives teams direction, clarity, and alignment — but it’s also the document most teams skip, rush, or never share. Cristian and Luis break down why that’s a recipe for confusion, political infighting, scope drift, and ultimately… predictable failure.
This conversation reveals how a well-crafted charter becomes the constitution for a project, guiding decisions, defining success, preventing chaos, and helping teams navigate uncertainty with purpose and unity.
What We Cover in This Episode
• Why the project charter is the “constitution” of your project
A simple, short document that sets the rules, alignment, and operating principles for everything that follows.
• The six essentials every strong charter must include
From business intent to decision rights — Cristian and Luis outline what actually matters and what teams miss.
• The real cost of skipping or rushing the charter
Misalignment, political turf wars, rework explosions, schedule chaos — and how all of it is preventable.
• Who needs to see the charter (hint: it’s more than your PM)
Why transparency matters, and why keeping the charter in a drawer guarantees confusion.
• Sharing the charter with engineering and construction partners
Full transparency vs. strategic sharing — and how to avoid unintentionally delegating the shaping of your project.
• How to build a charter the right way
Why a facilitated workshop beats a fill-in-the-blank template every time.
Chapters:
00:00 — Why Project Charters Matter
01:30 — The Charter as the Project’s Constitution
04:09 — What Makes a Strong Charter
11:49 — Scope, Assumptions & Decision Rights
18:04 — Who Should See the Charter
21:58 — Sharing the Charter with Partners
28:49 — What Happens When You Skip or Rush the Charter
29:16 — How to Build a Solid Charter
35:21 — Final Takeaway: Clarity Is a Competitive Advantage
Key Takeaways
- Clarity is a competitive advantage and it starts with a strong charter.
- If people can’t answer, “What are we trying to accomplish?”, the project is already off track.
- A good charter is short, intentional, and collaborative, not an afterthought.
- Unclear decision rights, vague goals, and missing assumptions create predictable failure.
- Don’t just write the charter, share it, teach it, use it.
Memorable Quotes
“The charter is the constitution of the project.”
“If you don’t define success early, people will make it up.”
“Clarity is a competitive advantage, and the charter is where clarity begins.”
“Projects don’t drift by accident, they drift when there’s no map.”
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