Both the project charter and the project scope are two important documents in the process of project management. There are some similarities, such as information that is included within the documents, but there are many differences, such as the length and detail of each document. It is important to understand how and when each document is used, as well as the purpose of each document with the context of project management. To begin with, a project charter is a document that is used in the Initiation Phase of a project. The main purpose is to put forth a document that is the basis for the project authorization. Like the scope statement, it contains a Project Description and Project Product, the Product Deliverables, Objectives, User Acceptance Criteria, High-level Project Assumptions, High-level Project Constraints, and Exclusions. For these items, the main difference is that in the charter, the information included is not as detailed and is more of a summation of each of these sections. Additionally, the charter includes the Business Need, Milestones, Major Risks, Key Stakeholders, Project Manager Authority Level, Project Core Team, and the Subject Matter Experts. The purpose of this combination of information, is to provide a document which summarizes the overall project, the budget as identified by the client, the description of what the anticipated outcome is to be, issues that may come up during the project, and the main individuals involved in the project. By providing this document, it is a means of securing authorization for the work. At this stage, the client would review the information and approve the work, signing the contract for the project management team or company to begin the planning stages. The project scope, however, is a much more detailed document, which allows the project team, and the client, to have a better feel for how much the project will actually cost by also including detailed item information, known as technical requirements, which, for example, could include a list of materials that are needed and their costs. The acceptance criteria is also much more detailed, including specific items that are needed inorder for the project to be a success. The criteria could include permit requirements, items that are needed for proper licensing, etc. One major difference between the charter and the scope is that the project includes the Statement of Work, which, in no uncertain terms, lists everything that is to be included with delivery of the completed project. The purpose of this item is to avoid miscommunication between the project team and the client in regards to what is the expected outcome. Items could include who is responsible for securing financing, who will be ordering the materials, etc.