The Project Charter as a Sensemaking Device

Jayson Martin, Western University
Nicole Haggerty, University of Western Ontario

Description

We report on preliminary findings from an ongoing longitudinal study of an IT implementation project in a hospital system which has experienced numerous changes in scope and objectives. Unfolding changes are documented in numerous versions of a project charter during project implementation. This challenged our understanding of a charter’s traditional role as a document for project control and direction. Using project documentation, meeting observation and interviews with relevant stakeholders, we use a sensemaking lens to provide perspective on how novel cues, collective interpretations and actions of the project team led to changes in the project’s charter – which contains the goals, scope, timeline, budget, sponsors etc. We conclude that rather than being a static document against which progress is measured the project charter appears to be serving as a chronicle of sense-making and learning through the project to date with positive consequences for project management functioning and success to date.

 
Aug 10th, 12:00 AM

The Project Charter as a Sensemaking Device

We report on preliminary findings from an ongoing longitudinal study of an IT implementation project in a hospital system which has experienced numerous changes in scope and objectives. Unfolding changes are documented in numerous versions of a project charter during project implementation. This challenged our understanding of a charter’s traditional role as a document for project control and direction. Using project documentation, meeting observation and interviews with relevant stakeholders, we use a sensemaking lens to provide perspective on how novel cues, collective interpretations and actions of the project team led to changes in the project’s charter – which contains the goals, scope, timeline, budget, sponsors etc. We conclude that rather than being a static document against which progress is measured the project charter appears to be serving as a chronicle of sense-making and learning through the project to date with positive consequences for project management functioning and success to date.