Question: At the end of the initiating process group, the charter is signed and the project manager has the green light to expend resources to create a detailed plan for the project. In theory, the project charter accurately characterizes the objectives, deliverables, schedule, and budget for the project and the project is clearly authorized (PMI, 2013). In PMI theory, all the major internal and external stakeholders are identified and analyzed prior to the beginning of project planning.

Initiating processes are often "performed by organizational, program or portfolio resources external to the project's scope of control" (PMI, 2013). Some maintain that this helps ensure that projects are tightly aligned with organizational strategic objectives, but others say that charters are created by those who don't know what's practical.

Many project managers experienced a stuttering start to a project in an organization that has no clear delineation between approved and unapproved projects.

Answer the following questions for this week's discussion:

How does what "should happen" compare to "what actually does happen" in your opinion?

What is the project manager's role is clarifying ambiguity in the project charter?

In your comments and responses, please use appropriate PMBOK® Guide terminology when discussing these factors.

Project Management Institute (PMI). (2013). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK Guide), (5th ed.) Newtown Square, PA: Author.

Schwalbe, K. (2015). Revised: An introduction to project management (5rd ed.) Minneapolis, MN: Kathy Schwalbe, LLC.