An effective kick off meeting is a vital part of every project. When you start off on the right foot, the project is much more likely to succeed and even exceed expectations. Without the right kick off meeting, you can end up with confusion, chaos, missed deadlines, and unhappy clients.

Here, we look into what a project kick off meeting consists of, why it’s important, and an example agenda for your kick off meeting so you can make sure your project is a success.

What is a project kick off meeting?

A project kick off meeting will be the first meeting with a project team before the project gets started properly.

If the project involves a new client, it will generally be held after contracts and agreements have been signed. The budget will have been agreed and there will also already be a final deadline in place.

What is the purpose of a kick off meeting?

The purpose of a kick off meeting will differ slightly depending on the type of project that you’ll be undertaking.

Typically, a kick off meeting will introduce the project and maybe the client to the team. It will set out what the project is, the purpose of the project, and people’s roles and responsibilities.

A project kick off meeting sets a foundation for the project as a whole. It ensures that everyone is on the same page before the project gets going, so everyone knows what will be expected from them and what they can expect from leadership.

What should be included in a kick off meeting?

The kick off meeting should include information about the project - essentially, the who, what, how, when, and why. So, you will discuss who will be involved and what will be required of them, plus expected and initial deadlines. You’ll also set out why the company is undertaking the project and the business goals you are aiming to reach with it.

There should also be scope in your kick off meeting for open discussion and questions, to ensure everyone on the team is clear on what will be expected from them and also why the project is important.

Below is an example project kick off meeting agenda that includes the vital parts of a kick off meeting.

Example project kick off meeting agenda

• Project brief

The first part of your project kick off meeting should be to explain what the project is. This should include:

• The background
• The purpose of the project
• The project goals and objectives

You can briefly discuss how the project aligns with the company’s wider goals and how it will add value. You can also note what metrics you will be using to measure the success of the project.

• Key team member roles and responsibilities

The next part of your project kick off meeting should be to introduce the key team members and assign roles. You can use an RACI matrix to act as a visual tool for this. The RACI matrix identifies who will be responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for various parts of the project throughout the timeline.

It might be helpful to put an RACI together as a team using a whiteboard in the meeting room first, so everyone can contribute. You can then put it together as a spreadsheet to send round to the team.

Once the roles and responsibilities are finalised, everyone will be clear on what is expected of them during the project.

• Project timeline

The next part of the meeting should discuss the project timeline. The final deadline should be made clear. The team can then identify where important milestones can be hit.

This section should follow the roles and responsibility section so each team member will know what they will be responsible for delivering. If there looks to be an issue with achieving a deadline, this can be discussed and solved in the kick off meeting.

• Communication plan

The next part of the kick off meeting should layout the communication plan for the project. You can set out how regularly you will meet as a team, and if any smaller groups may need to meet more regularly to achieve what’s required.

You can also set out how the wider project team will keep in communication, whether by email, using project management software, or with a dedicated chat channel onTeams or Slack.

• Next steps

The penultimate section of your kick off meeting agenda should be to discuss next steps. Clarify the actions and who in the team needs to do what before the next meeting.

It can be beneficial to send out a meeting follow-up, so make sure this responsibility is also assigned to someone and they know what they need to include. This will ensure nothing that was discussed in the meeting gets forgotten.

• Q&A

The final part of your kick off meeting should be to hold a Q&A. This gives everyone the chance to clarify details or talk about something that may not have been covered. This may lead to extra actions that need to be included in the follow-up email and next steps.

How long should a kick off meeting be?

Your kick off meeting will usually require around one to two hours. It can be best to schedule in two hours, to ensure you’re not rushed. You’ll also want to ensure there’s plenty of time for questions at the end and also to work through any issues that arise in the first instance when discussing timelines and responsibilities.

What do I need for a project kick off meeting?

Once you have your agenda for the project kick off meeting, you should send this around to all attendees prior to the meeting. If attendees will have their laptops, you can keep it to a soft copy, but if they won’t you should print it out so people have it to hand during the meeting.

You should also think about what visual communication tools you’ll need. If you are introducing a new client, it can be helpful to include a brief presentation about them using a projection screen.

If you plan to collaborate and discuss ideas with your team in the meeting, you’ll need a whiteboard or flipchart so you can make notes. You can invite team members to come up and make their own notes if it’s helpful. After the meeting, assign an individual with the responsibility to transfer the notes into a document so it can be retained and shared after the meeting.