Template by Methodology

PRINCE2 Project Charter: Project Mandate, Project Brief, and PID

PRINCE2 does not have a single charter document. It splits charter work into three sequential management products: the Project Mandate (trigger), the Project Brief (viability), and the Project Initiation Documentation (full baseline). Each gets its own approval gate.

The PRINCE2 Three-Document Pattern

PRINCE2 is the default project management methodology for UK central government and is widely used across Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the wider Commonwealth. The methodology is published by AXELOS (now part of PeopleCert). PRINCE2 7, released September 2023, is the current version.

The three-document model is intentional. PRINCE2 follows a "Manage by Stages" principle that requires each major commitment to pass through a formal gate. The Mandate authorises pre-project work. The Brief authorises initiation. The PID authorises delivery. If any of the three gates fail, the project stops before spending the next stage's budget. This contrasts with PMBOK's single-charter model, where authorisation is one event.

Stage 1

Project Mandate

Before pre-project (Starting Up)

The trigger document. States the high-level reason for the project, names the executive, and authorises the Starting Up a Project process.

Length: 1 to 2 pages

Stage 2

Project Brief

End of Starting Up a Project process

Expanded mandate. Confirms the project is viable and defines what success looks like. Authorises Initiating a Project.

Length: 5 to 12 pages

Stage 3

Project Initiation Documentation (PID)

End of Initiating a Project process

The full plan. Baselines the project before Delivery Stage starts. The PID is the PRINCE2 equivalent of a fully detailed charter plus project management plan.

Length: 15 to 50 pages

Document 1: Project Mandate (Filled Example)

Example: replacement of the UK photocard driving licence renewal service. Numbers reflect publicly reported DfT digital programme parameters but are illustrative.

Project Mandate: GB Driving Licence Renewal Service Replacement

Authority: UK Department for Transport, Permanent Secretary, on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Background: The current driver licensing renewal service is a Java application written in 2009. Average renewal completion time is 14 minutes; abandonment rate is 38%. The service breaches the GDS Service Standard on accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA) and digital inclusion.

Outline objectives: Replace the licensing renewal service with a GOV.UK Service Toolkit compliant service. Reduce average completion time to under 5 minutes. Reduce abandonment to under 12%. Achieve WCAG 2.2 AA compliance verified by an external accessibility audit.

Named executive: Sarah Whitcombe (Director, Digital Identity and Services, DfT)

Funding source: GBP 4.8M from the 2026-27 Digital Transformation Reserve, vote 17, subhead C2.

Expected start: Pre-project (Starting Up): 1 June 2026. Initiation: 1 August 2026. Delivery: 1 October 2026.

Document 2: Project Brief (Filled Example)

Outline Business Case

Replacing the licensing renewal service is expected to reduce contact-centre call volume by 28% (currently 41,000 calls per month at a marginal cost of GBP 4.20 per call), saving GBP 1.4M per year. Total benefits over 5 years: GBP 7.2M against project cost of GBP 4.8M, payback in 3.4 years.

Project Product Description

A GOV.UK Service Toolkit compliant digital service that allows GB licence holders to renew their photocard licence online. Supports identity verification via GOV.UK One Login, payment via GOV.UK Pay, and document upload via the GOV.UK Forms platform.

Project Approach

Iterative delivery using GDS Service Standard, eight 4-week stages, internal CDDO assurance reviews at end of Discovery, Alpha, Private Beta, and Public Beta. PRINCE2 governance overlaid on the agile delivery pattern.

Project Management Team

  • Project Board: Executive (Sarah Whitcombe), Senior User (Carla Idehen, DVLA Service Operations), Senior Supplier (TBC, contracted via DOS framework).
  • Project Manager: Mo Patel (DfT in-house).
  • Project Assurance: CDDO Service Assessment team.
  • Team Manager(s): One per agile delivery team, three teams planned.

Document 3: PID Tolerances (Filled Example)

The PID is too long to reproduce in full. The most distinctive PRINCE2 element is the six-dimension tolerance table, which is reproduced here. Tolerances define how much the project can vary on each dimension before the PM must raise an Exception Report.

Tolerance DimensionDefined Tolerance
TimePlus or minus 4 weeks against the 16-month plan.
CostPlus or minus 8% against GBP 4.8M (max GBP 5.18M, min GBP 4.42M).
QualityPass GDS Service Standard assessment at Public Beta and Live. No more than 2 Service Standard points scored amber.
ScopeMust include identity, eligibility, payment, photo upload, address, and confirmation steps. May exclude provisional licence and HGV variants (deferred to Phase 2).
RiskAggregate risk score must remain at or below 36 on the DfT risk matrix.
BenefitMust achieve at least GBP 1.0M annual contact-centre saving by month 18 post-Live to remain in benefit tolerance.

Source: AXELOS PRINCE2 Manual on tolerance definitions; GOV.UK Functional Standard 002 for the public-sector context.

PID Controls

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does PRINCE2 use three documents instead of one charter?
PRINCE2 separates authority (Mandate), viability check (Brief), and full planning baseline (PID) into three sequential approvals. Each approval is a gate. Corporate management approves the Mandate, the executive approves the Brief, and the full Project Board approves the PID. This staged commitment model is one of the principles PRINCE2 calls 'Manage by Stages', and it lets organisations stop a project cheaply if the Brief or PID reveals it should not proceed.
How do PRINCE2 documents map to a PMBOK charter?
Roughly: the Project Mandate is a pre-charter trigger document (PMBOK does not have an equivalent and assumes it lives in a portfolio backlog). The Project Brief is closest to a PMBOK charter, covering purpose, scope, outline business case, and team structure. The PID is closest to a fully expanded PMBOK charter plus project management plan plus risk register plus communication management plan. A PMI-trained PM moving to PRINCE2 should expect to spend roughly 30% more time on initiation documentation than they would in a PMBOK environment.
Is PRINCE2 still relevant in 2026?
Yes, particularly in the UK public sector, Australia, parts of continental Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark), and large outsourcing engagements globally. The UK Government's Functional Standard 002 (Project Delivery) treats PRINCE2 as the default methodology for major government projects, and the National Audit Office uses PRINCE2 tolerance language in its public-sector project reviews. AXELOS released PRINCE2 7 in September 2023, which streamlined the documents and improved alignment with hybrid and agile delivery.
Can PRINCE2 be used with agile delivery?
Yes. AXELOS publishes PRINCE2 Agile specifically for this, and most modern PRINCE2 implementations in the UK government overlay PRINCE2 governance on an agile delivery pattern. The Project Board approves at end-of-stage gates, while the delivery team runs sprints inside each stage. The PID describes both the governance approach (PRINCE2) and the delivery approach (agile, with sprint cadence and Definition of Done).
Who is on a PRINCE2 Project Board?
Three roles: Executive (sponsor, accountable for the business case), Senior User (represents the people who will use the product), and Senior Supplier (represents the people building it). Each role can be filled by one or more individuals but the three roles must be distinct. The Executive is the chair. PRINCE2 7 emphasises that the Senior User and Senior Supplier roles must have decision authority over their respective domains, not just an advisory role.
What are PRINCE2 tolerances?
Six dimensions on which the project can vary without escalating to corporate management: time, cost, quality, scope, risk, and benefit. The Project Board sets tolerances at PID approval. If the project forecasts breaching any tolerance, the PM must raise an Exception Report. This is one of the practices that distinguishes PRINCE2 from PMBOK, where 'change control' covers similar ground but does not formalise the six-dimension tolerance model.
Where can I download an official PRINCE2 template?
AXELOS publishes PRINCE2 management product outlines (templates) as part of the PRINCE2 Manual. The full official templates are licensed and require purchase. For practical use, the UK Government Digital Service publishes related templates and worked examples under the Open Government Licence on the GOV.UK Service Manual. For a private-sector implementation, most consultancies maintain organisation-specific PRINCE2 templates that adapt the AXELOS outlines.

Related on this site

PMBOK charter format (for PMI / North American comparison)Government project charter templateEnterprise project charterRisk matrix (PRINCE2 risk register input)Hybrid waterfall-agile charter (PRINCE2 Agile pattern)Charter vs business case

Updated 2 May 2026