CASCADES Project Charter

Summary  / Key takeaways

This charter can be used as a stand-alone resource or alongside existing organizational templates. It is a structured tool that builds on the Model for Improvement by integrating sustainability prompts into standard project charter components.

It follows the SE-QI approach, which embeds sustainability within existing QI steps and structures, rather than adding it as a separate process. Prompts are woven throughout core elements such as scope, problem definition, and measurement planning. Each slide also includes accompanying speaking notes with additional guidance for each step.

The SE-QI Toolkit is an important resource that supports this charter. At key steps, a visual marker (SE-QI icon and QR code) indicates where the Toolkit can help teams more effectively apply and deepen sustainability within their project.

The charter supports teams in incorporating an environmental lens across key stages of improvement, including:

• Problem definition 
• Current state assessment 
• Root cause analysis 
• Change idea development 
• Measurement 

It is organized around three guiding questions:

• What does improvement look like? (including the change ideas to test and how impact will be measured)
• What is the problem? (including what we are trying to achieve)
• What do we need to learn? (including root causes, environmental drivers, and upstream determinants)

Suggested Citation:

Cruz, A, Simms, N, Ritcey, G, MacNeill, A, Miller, F. Sustainability Embedded Quality Improvement (SE-QI). Version 1.0. [Internet]. CASCADES; 2026 [cited DATE]. Available from: https://cascadescanada.ca/.