synthetic_policies/project_kickoff_procedure.md

OPS-SOP-018: Project Kickoff Procedure

Effective Date: 2025-04-15 Revision: 1.1 Owner: Project Management Office (PMO)

1. Purpose

This procedure defines the mandatory steps and artifacts required to officially initiate a new project. Its goal is to ensure every project begins with a solid foundation, clear objectives, defined scope, and full alignment among all key stakeholders.

2. Pre-Kickoff Requirements

A project is not considered active and cannot be formally kicked off until the following artifacts are completed and approved:

• Project Charter: A formal document, approved by the project sponsor, that outlines:
  • Problem Statement: The business problem or opportunity the project addresses.
  • Project Goals & Objectives: What the project will achieve (SMART goals).
  • Scope: High-level summary of what is in and out of scope.
  • Key Stakeholders: A list of individuals or groups who are affected by the project.
  • Project Sponsor: The executive who is championing the project.
• Initial Requirements Document: A high-level list of functional and non-functional requirements.
• Resource Approval: Written confirmation (email is acceptable) of budget and staffing from the relevant department head(s).

3. The Kickoff Meeting

The project manager is responsible for scheduling and running the official kickoff meeting.

3.1. Mandatory Attendees

• Project Manager
• Project Sponsor
• Core Project Team Members
• Key Stakeholders (at least one representative from each major group)

3.2. Standard Agenda

1. Introductions: Team members introduce themselves and their roles.
2. Project Vision & Background: The "why" behind the project, usually presented by the Project Sponsor.
3. Review of Project Charter: The Project Manager walks through the goals, scope, and deliverables. This is a time for clarification, not negotiation.
4. High-Level Timeline & Milestones: Present the expected major phases and target dates.
5. Roles & Responsibilities (RACI): Review the prepared RACI matrix to ensure everyone understands their part.
6. Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies (RAID): Discuss the initial RAID log.
7. Communication Plan: How, when, and to whom project status will be communicated.
8. Next Steps: Clear action items for the first 1-2 weeks of the project.

4. Post-Kickoff Actions

• Meeting Minutes: The PM must distribute meeting minutes and action items within 24 hours.
• Documentation Hub: All project artifacts (Charter, RAID log, meeting minutes) must be uploaded to the project's designated Confluence space. The PM is responsible for creating and organizing this space.

5. Related Policies

• Quarterly Planning SOP (OPS-SOP-017)
• Change Management Process (OPS-SOP-019)

7. Revision History

• v1.1 (2025-10-18): Added more detail on pre-kickoff artifacts, mandatory meeting attendees, and post-kickoff actions.
• v1.0 (2025-04-15): Initial version.