How to Write Project Specifications: Guide & Template

In project management, a project specification document, also called the project charter, is a valuable tool when starting any kind of project, from construction to software development.

Whether you're planning to launch a website, a mobile application, or any other type of digital project, writing a project specification is the first step of a successful project and serves as the first step of project planning.

To help you write one with ease, you will discover in this article what a project specification is, and how to write one.

With this in mind, we will give you project specification examples, a free template to get you started, and a list of the best software you can use to manage your projects. 🤓

Now that you have learned the key steps you should include and seen project charter examples, you can begin writing your own project charter!

To get you started, here is a free template:

A project specification is a document, used for successful project management, that defines the management plan of a project as a whole.

It lists the:

• needs,
• objectives,
• constraints,
• expected features,
• deadlines,
• and budget, as accurately as possible.

Used internally or externally, a project specification can become contractual in the case of a service signature, and it is mandatory in the case of a request for tender.

Essentially, project specifications serve as a blueprint that directs the execution phase, ensuring that all project outputs meet the desired standards and functions.

Here is a short video that explains what a project charter is:

As we said, specifications are essential documents that provide detailed guidelines on how project goals should be achieved. But they’re more than just budget, needs, or constraints.

Overall, they typically include:

• Technical Details: This covers the methods and processes to be used in the project, ensuring compliance with technical and regulatory standards.
• Material Specifications: Detailed information about the types and qualities of materials required for construction or manufacturing projects.
• Quality Standards: Descriptions of the quality criteria that the project outputs must meet, ensuring that the final product is both effective and durable.

Project specifications can be used to :

• get authorizations to start a building project,
• think about objectives and set them,
• assign the priorities of the project,
• help key stakeholders give you more relevant advice,
• estimate the budget, resources, and project deliverables necessary to the successful completion of a project.

In concrete terms, this documentation will serve as a basis for the planning and management of a project.

The development process cannot start without comprehensive project specifications.

Ideally, project specifications should be written by the company that initiates the project. It can be the project manager or the project owner to:

• reflect the corporate culture and company values better than an outside person,
• stay as close as possible to the needs of the end-user.

Don't hesitate to surround yourself with experts who can give you advice, but you must also collect information from end-users and clients, because they will, after all, be the ones who use the solution.

If you’ve hired a third-party contractor, such as a web agency, all you have to do is validate the various elements and make sure that the scope of the project has been covered.

Project requirements and project specifications are integral parts of project management, each playing a distinct role in guiding the project from conception through completion.

Although they are closely intertwined, they cater to different aspects of the project's lifecycle. ⚠️

Project requirements articulate the goals and expectations of stakeholders, detailing what needs to be achieved by the project.

This stage is about defining the 'what'—the essential functions and performance needs that the project must fulfill to be considered successful.

It serves as a compass for identifying and understanding the end-user's demands and the project's intended outcome.

👉 For example, in a software development project, a requirement might specify the need for the software to integrate seamlessly with existing accounting software.

If this is your first time creating this type of documentation, we recommend including the information you find most beneficial.

☝️ It’s important to note that the more detailed you make your project charter, the more convincing it will be, and it will serve as a key reference for all project stakeholders, as well as the timeline for effective project execution.

This first part gives a quick description of the company so that the third-party contractor understands the identity of his customer. The presentation should include:

• your sector of activity,
• your core business,
• your flagship products or services,
• key project stakeholders.

💡You should not go too much into detail, you should mainly list the key information about your company so that a person can understand in a few lines your project goals.

Next, it is significant to present the project!

To begin, you must use a descriptive title when naming your project.

👉 For example, naming your project “Business Campaign” may not be relevant as it does not describe the purpose of the project nor does it differentiate said project from others.

However, if a title such as “International Business Campaign to Generate new Leads in Europe” is used, you will inform readers about the goal of the campaign right away.

The aim here is to explain the ins and outs of the project “body of knowledge” so that all the project stakeholders understand the issues and work to respond to them as well as possible.

Each project has different goals. This is why it is essential to know them in order to move in the right direction and make the right decisions. Your objectives should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound).

By describing your target(s) accurately, you will have a high chance of reaching them. This is not an easy exercise to do, but it will save you a lot of time once you have done the work.

👉 Describe your marketing persona, i.e., the fictitious profile of your ideal customer, with as much information as possible (age, interests…).

To glean this information, you can :

• Ask your customers questions;
• Analyze information from your prospects;
• Read the discussions on the forums dealing with their problems;
• Collect more precise information via the use of contact or download forms.

To position your project successfully, you need to know:

• your main and secondary competitors,
• their strengths and weaknesses,
• as well as your Unique Selling Points.

Then, you are free to determine your positioning by offering something fundamentally new or better.

It’s recommended to write this part when you already have a graphic charter, and if you want to keep it for the project.

💡Graphic charter are best for enhancing the brand strategy!

It can also be used if you want to create a new graphic charter that is in line with the previous one.

Break down the project cost structure and where the funds will come from.

This section could also list any additional estimated resources and materials needed to execute your project and ensure it meets your standards.

Set a deadline by which the project must be launched. As with the budget, don't underestimate the time required to complete each element, and be realistic.

For complex projects, do not hesitate to set different milestones and make a schedule in the form of a Gantt chart.

The functional part of the project charter is used to translate project requirements into functionalities.

👉 It is recommended to detail work breakdown to ensure that the functionalities are well understood and the project scheduling is up to par with your expectations.

Describe each functionality as follows:

• title,
• objective,
• description,
• subfunctions,
• constraints and business rules,
• level of priority.

The technical part consists of describing how the functionalities will be implemented, and are especially important in the case of software development.

Moreover, this part highlights the technical requirements and constraints of the project to meet the needs of end-users.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of elements that can be used:

• online payment methods,
• hosting solution,
• server architecture,
• choice of platform or CMS,
• administration tools,
• integration constraints,
• computer language,
• data security management,
• maintenance,
• migration,
• browser or operating system compatibility
• expected performance (loading times, general speed…)

Here you should put all the documents and detailed information that are required to complete the project.

These may include:

• wireframes,
• mock-ups,
• drafts, etc.

Since project charters can be adapted according to the type of project you use and its complexity, therefore, it’s recommended to consider different examples of project charters before writing your own.

Here are 2 project specifications examples that may inspire you to design your own.

To help you with your project specification, why not going for project management software? ⚒️

Lucidchart is an online diagram software that allows you to visually build your project specifications.

Thanks to its intuitive interface, you can use Lucidchart to create project charters and diagrams. Drag and drop shapes in the work area, then complete them with your information (you can import your data from a CSV file) and customize diagrams to your preference.

Once you have created your project charter, it is essential to keep track of the completion of your project with a dedicated tool.

monday.com is an intuitive work management platform that allows you to manage any team and any project while creating a more transparent work culture.

Thanks to its system of customisable tables, you can manage your tasks and subtasks using a visual and intuitive tool. Once you have identified your projects, assign each of them the necessary resources and budget.

This project management tool goes one step further, by providing time management features (to meet the deadlines of your projects) and by offering different views of your tables, with a Gantt chart for example.

Project specifications are essential to building a framework for your project and helping you to reflect and formalize your needs and objectives.

They allow you to communicate with team members and project stakeholders in the project so that everyone can make informed decisions in a collaborative work environment.

However, you must accept that the project may evolve, either because new external elements change the situation or because it is difficult to be exhaustive and perfectly express your needs.

This is where working with an agile method is interesting because it allows you to present a functional version of the product as soon as possible which will allow you to make adjustments to the project charter.