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Timing of Kick-off meetings

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Sungjoon Park Coral Springs, Fl, United States
I was reluctant to post this issue on here but...

I recently passed the PMP Exam at the end of the last month but I was really confused with this issue and I am still confused because PMBOK guide doesn't mention it at all. Some PMP exam reference books say that the timing of kickoff meeting should be held between approval of project management plan and carrying out the main work, and they look like correct according to the PMI's Exam Outline Contents in June, 2015 since the kick-off meeting is 12th Planning task after completion of project management plan. But it is still confusing when I read the contents of task 12 in said Exam Outline Contents, "Conduct kick-off meeting, communicating start of the project, key milestones, and other relevant information in order to inform and engage stakeholders, and gain commitment". It sounds like to be held between Develop Project Charter and Develop Project Management Plan and I still believe the best timing to announce the start of project and to seek the stakeholders engagement and commitment is after the project charter is approved and the project is initiated.

When I passed the PMP exam, I didn't want to think about it any more until I read an article yesterday regarding the project management in Korean language posted by one of experts in this field and it reminded me this issue again. His article includes some comments in this regard and kick-off meeting(workshop) should be located after the project charter is developed, and it seems logical to me.

Summary
1. Based on two reference books I have and PMI's Exam Outline Contents of June 2015(it confuses me), it might be held after completion of Project Management Plan. This is also supported by my experience.
2. But I still believe the kick-off meetings should be held after Initiating Process Group but before or at beginning process of Develop Project Management Plan based on my understanding of use of kick-off meeting as a tool to seek stakeholders commitment and to announce start of the project and inform relevant information to stakeholders. But in this case, it is hard to use it as a team building tool since majority of team members might be identified during planning processes.

This issue might be very minor considering that the processes are interdependent and iterated all the times during the project life cycle or during a specific phase and that kick-off meeting can be held at any time, but not too late, based on situation or size of each project. Many PMP aspirants, however, might still be being confused as I was and am. The contents and details of agenda to be used in the kick-off meeting might be different based on the timing of kick-off meeting held.

Please kindly help me understand this issue clearly.

Thanking you in advance.
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Sungjoon Park Coral Springs, Fl, United States
Thank you all.

I can summarize all of ideas showing above as followings:

1. Timing of Kick-off meeting.

It should be dependent on the project needs but kick-off meeting might usually be held after obtaining approval of Project Management Plan from the relevant stakeholders.

2. Main Agenda

2.1 Project goals and justifications which might be inclusive in the Project Charter
2.2 Roles and responsibilities of team members in the Human Resource Management Plan.
2.3 Communications management plan and reporting procedures to key stakeholders including the customer.
2.4. Milestone schedule and summary of budgets
2.5. Change and/or Configuration management plan
2.6. Ground rules and team building activities schedule
2.7, High level risks, assumptions and constraints
2.8. Any pending issues to be resolved in a timely manner.

3. Attendee

3.1 Sponsor
3.2 Project management team including project manager
3.3 All or selected team members
3.4. Customer representatives
3.5. Management representatives
3.6. Functional managers
3.7. Sellers as needed
3.8. Other stakeholders

4. Purpose of kick-off meeting

4.1 To inform start of the project including project goals and justifications to relevant stakeholders and get buy-in and commitments.
4.2 To use as a team building activity and foundation for the ground rules.
4.3. Clearly to communicate with relevant stakeholders reporting procedures and communications requirements, and to get acceptances from customer and management.
4.4. To inform any important issues like milestones and budgets, risks, and assumptions to the relevant stakeholders to make them being on the same boat.
4.5. Clearly to inform roles and responsibilities to team members

5. Meeting minutes
5.1 Meeting minutes might be produced during this meeting and sent to all attendees to confirm that the contents of meeting minutes are correct and agreed, and to solicit any feedbacks.
5.2. Updates of project records in Organization Process Assets,
...
1 reply by Obianuju Pearl Mofunanya
Dec 09, 2023 3:24 PM
Obianuju Pearl Mofunanya
...
Thank you Sungjoon Park for starting this thread and everyone who contributed. I was confused about the ideal timing of the Kick-off as well. Appreciate all your input.
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Duane Barker Sacramento, Ca, United States
I find this use of kickoff meeting confusing. Certainly many kinds of kickoff meetings can occur in a project. In DoD, the kickoff meeting is specific to the Contracting Officer holding a meeting with the contractor, project team, and stakeholders after project award, at the time of the start of the contract. So a planning kickoff meeting at the beginning of a project may not exist at all in some scenarios, it may be a scope, stakeholders, coordination, or management meeting early on but not called a kickoff meeting.
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Obianuju Pearl Mofunanya Business Account Manager/ Program Manager| CROSSMARK Canada Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Jun 11, 2016 10:52 PM
Replying to Sungjoon Park
...
Thank you all.

I can summarize all of ideas showing above as followings:

1. Timing of Kick-off meeting.

It should be dependent on the project needs but kick-off meeting might usually be held after obtaining approval of Project Management Plan from the relevant stakeholders.

2. Main Agenda

2.1 Project goals and justifications which might be inclusive in the Project Charter
2.2 Roles and responsibilities of team members in the Human Resource Management Plan.
2.3 Communications management plan and reporting procedures to key stakeholders including the customer.
2.4. Milestone schedule and summary of budgets
2.5. Change and/or Configuration management plan
2.6. Ground rules and team building activities schedule
2.7, High level risks, assumptions and constraints
2.8. Any pending issues to be resolved in a timely manner.

3. Attendee

3.1 Sponsor
3.2 Project management team including project manager
3.3 All or selected team members
3.4. Customer representatives
3.5. Management representatives
3.6. Functional managers
3.7. Sellers as needed
3.8. Other stakeholders

4. Purpose of kick-off meeting

4.1 To inform start of the project including project goals and justifications to relevant stakeholders and get buy-in and commitments.
4.2 To use as a team building activity and foundation for the ground rules.
4.3. Clearly to communicate with relevant stakeholders reporting procedures and communications requirements, and to get acceptances from customer and management.
4.4. To inform any important issues like milestones and budgets, risks, and assumptions to the relevant stakeholders to make them being on the same boat.
4.5. Clearly to inform roles and responsibilities to team members

5. Meeting minutes
5.1 Meeting minutes might be produced during this meeting and sent to all attendees to confirm that the contents of meeting minutes are correct and agreed, and to solicit any feedbacks.
5.2. Updates of project records in Organization Process Assets,
Thank you Sungjoon Park for starting this thread and everyone who contributed. I was confused about the ideal timing of the Kick-off as well. Appreciate all your input.
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