Project Kickoff Agenda

When to use this

A 60-minute kickoff agenda that forces clarity on objective, scope, owner, and definition of done before any work starts. Saves the rework that comes from vague kickoffs.

# Project Kickoff — [Project Name]
**Date:** [Date]   **Duration:** 60 min   **Sponsor:** [Name]   **Owner:** [Name]

## 1. Why are we doing this? (10 min)
- Problem we are solving
- Strategic alignment
- Cost of inaction

## 2. Definition of done (15 min)
- Outcome (not output)
- Success metrics
- Out of scope

## 3. Who's who (10 min)
- Sponsor / Owner / Working group
- Decision rights (who can say "go" / "no go")

## 4. Plan & milestones (15 min)
- Phase 1: [dates, deliverable]
- Phase 2: [dates, deliverable]
- Hard deadline (if any)

## 5. Risks & dependencies (5 min)
- Top 3 risks
- External dependencies

## 6. Communication rhythm (5 min)
- Weekly update format and channel
- Steering cadence
- Escalation path

## Confirm before close
- [ ] Owner accepts owner role
- [ ] Sponsor accepts sponsor role
- [ ] First weekly update date in everyone's calendar