PROJECT KICKOFF AND COMMUNICATION PLAN - 12% CHALLENGE The Project Team Kick-off Meeting is the first meeting

with the project team members to discuss the project and the work that will be completed. Prior to the meeting, the Project Implementation Plan and Project Charter should be distributed to the team members. This meeting introduces the members of the project team and provides the opportunity to discuss the role of each team member in the project work. The other base elements in the project may also be discussed at this meeting (Project Task List, Schedule, Communication Plan, etc.). The benefits of holding a kick-off meeting are that all project team members are aware of the complete project. During the meeting the expectations of the Project Manager are detailed as well as the parameters of the project work, timeline, and control process are defined. Of secondary importance it must be noted that any missing team members or technical stakeholders are identified for follow-up. Project Communication (Management) Plan Project Communications Management includes the processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage, and ultimate disposition of project information. It provides the critical links among people, ideas, and information that are necessary for success. Everyone involved in the project must be prepared to send and receive communications, and must understand how the communications in which they are involved as individuals affect the project as a whole. The communications plan must address two types of communication: Internal communicating within the project team and external communication with upper management, customers, and external players. The plan must determine determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders: Questions needed to be answered are who needs what information, how often will they need it and in what format will it be given to them. In addition, the plan must detail how project performance will collected in order to disseminate performance information. This includes status reporting, progress measurement, and forecasting. Of primary importance the plan must set up an Escalation Procedure for rapid communication with upper management when a project begins to run over cost or schedule, or rapid decisions need to be made in response to internal or external changes. This escalation should determine which level of upper management to contact depending on the degree of variance from the project plan OBJECTIVE To demonstrate an understanding of how to prepare a project Kick-Off meeting and to develop an effective Project Communication Plan. Understand the content requirements of a typical Kick-Off meeting and Project Communication Management Plan. Develop a Project Kick-Off meeting plan and Project Communication Plan.

ASSIGNMENT Your task is to develop a detailed plan for the Kick-Off meeting including an announcement letter, proposed agenda and attendee list. Your second task is to develop the Project Communication Plan. You can use any project as an example, "Wedding Bells" or a project from work. (My preference is always that you use a project from your work or other activities, because that will be more relevant to your future needs.) COMMUNICATION PLAN OUTLINE External Communications - (10)

Identify who, external to the project, requires information concerning the project. Clearly detail the project's strategy for managing their expectations regarding the project. Develop a RAM detailing, for each project documentation who has the following responsibility: Information, Review, Approve. Personnel in the RAM should include those agencies/personnel noted under External and Internal Communications. Internal Communications - (10) Internal communication within the project teams is to meet their four major communication needs:

Responsibility of each team member for different parts of the project Coordination information that enables team members to work together efficiently Status information tracking the progress, identifying problems and enabling team members to take corrective action Authorization information - decisions made by customers, sponsors, and upper management - that relates to the project and its business environment, and enables the team members to keep all project decisions synchronized.

Internal communications happen primarily through team meetings, memos, voice mail, and e-mail. Project managers need to be able to write, speak, and listen well, lead meetings and resolve conflicts effectively. Describe, in detail, who is responsible for each form of communication, its format, frequency, etc. Examples are: Status Reports, Team Meetings, Project Briefings, Budget Updates, etc. Develop a RAM detailing, for each project documentation who has the following responsibility: Information, Review, Approve. Personnel in the RAM should include those agencies/personnel noted under External and Internal Communications. Communicating with Upper Management and Customers - (15) External stakeholders, such as sponsor, customer and resource manager, must be kept informed of progress and their inputs solicited. Answer the following questions to decide what information should be relayed to managers and customers: Who needs information, why, and when? What type of information will they need and in what detail? What will you goal be when you communicate with customer and management and what medium will best accomplish that? Develop a RAM detailing, for each project documentation who has the following responsibility: Information, Review, Approve. Personnel in the RAM should include those agencies/personnel noted under External and Internal Communications. Change Management - (15) Set up an Escalation Procedure for rapid communication with upper management when a project begins to run over cost or schedule, or rapid decisions need to be made in response to internal or external changes. This escalation should determine which level of upper management to contact depending on the degree of variance from the project plan. Project Reporting - Administrative Close-Out - (10) Develop how the project will conduct administrative close-out at the end of each phase of the project in terms of what needs to be done, who needs to be advised, follow-up action on outstanding issues, etc. Project Reporting - Project Close-Out - (10) Develop the strategy for Closing out the project. Identify what needs to be done, who needs to be advised, etc. Examples include on-going marketing plan for product, setting up briefings and/or training sessions, etc.

Describe how formal acceptance of the final deliverables by the customer will be carried out. Detail who will be the holder of the lessons-learned report. Evaluation:

Format - (1) MS Word, RTF or PDF, 8 " x 11", 12 point font, 1" margins Generic Contents - (1) Title Page, Table of Contents, Bibliography Contents - Project Kick Off Meeting - (20) Announcement letter, proposed agenda and attendee list Contents - Communication Plan - (70) As indicated in Outline above Presentation - (5) Logically developed, clear and concise, accurate, well presented Grammar and Spelling - (3)