The JCVA Way: What Goes On A Productive Kickoff Meeting

Throughout the life of a project, there would be several and regular meetings that will be held. A kickoff meeting is a significant one in the sense that it sets the tone and vision of the project and determines the relationship amongst the team in the coming weeks and months.

This is the first meeting when everyone is oriented on the project’s objectives and when the client’s requirements and expectations are set. On the project manager’s side, this is when he would discuss the framework and methodology that the team will use to be able to deliver the project successfully.

The kickoff meeting is a way to strengthen the relationship among stakeholders and is important as it sets everyone on the same page, establishes ground rules and clarifies dependencies.

This photo is a render of how their lobby/receiving area would look like once it’s done.

In a recent win for the Ad Standards Council office renovation in Makati City, we were given the opportunity to transform their office space from basic to brilliant.

We held our kickoff meeting at their office, the place we are renovating and giving a new look to so that we can be able to do the ocular there as well. Oculars are held to ensure that the clients needs are met and to ensure accuracy, take photos and measurements of areas that need to be renovated.

The client decided to stick with their signature color, red with accents of orange. They want to maximize their office space and make use of every corner so that it can be overall functional.

Here’s the basic agenda of a typical kickoff meeting:

Project Background

During the start of the kickoff meeting, the project manager and client discusses the history of the project and why the renovation is needed. Included here are the flaws they saw and experienced that’s why they’re having the renovation. Talking about this helps the project manager pay proper attention to what he needs to pay attention to.

Project Scope Overview

This part details the project deliverables and describes the major objectives of the project.

Timeline

This focuses on the timeline or target date for the project to be delivered and turned over to the client.

Budget

The project owner (client) and the project manager should discuss the budget at length and clarify any gray areas. A project can get delayed because of budget mismatching so it’s important that this gets covered during a project kickoff.

Layout Design Discussion

A functional layout design needs to consider a lot of things from overall appearance up to the functionality of the entire office. Occupants should be able to visualize their new space and offer their comments as early as now so revisions can already be done.

Correct Measurements

This is an obvious given. During the kickoff meeting, the project manager has to have accurate measurements of the space that needs to be renovated to avoid mistakes and reduce back jobs as well.

Project Documents, Including Construction Permits

Local government and building permits are required to be able to do construction and renovations. The project team must immediately apply for these permits to be able to get the project underway. In buildings, construction would start after office hours with minimal to no noise as a requirement to avoid disruptions when employees from nearby offices are working.

Employee/HR Consultation

A responsible project manager thinks about the employees that would occupy the space and are usually represented by an HR rep in the project team.

Risk Management Overview

This is the process of thoroughly analyzing the possible risks and outcomes of the project. This is important because we can anticipate the problems that may occur and be ready with the solutions to avoid delays in delivering or finishing the project.

Roles and Responsibilities

Discussion of roles and responsibilities of each individual is also talked about during the kickoff meeting to ensure proper distribution of tasks.

Project Management Methods And Tools

During this part of the meeting, the project manager will discuss the tools and methods that will be used all throughout the project. At JCVA, we have our proprietary platforms called Agile and Vault. Agile is a web-based tracking and reporting tool, while Vault, on the other hand, is JCVA’s online storage and centralized hub for all project-related data, reports and formal communication and is connected to Agile.

The JCVA and ASC team after their kickoff meeting last month led by JCVA’s President and CEO, Jason Valderrama.

Those are just a few points that both parties, the client and the project manager, should tackle during a kickoff meeting. When done right, a kickoff meeting can help determine project success and ignite the beginning of a fruitful partnership and a wonderful relationship among project stakeholders. As a result, kickoff meetings should not be taken lightly and both parties should make time for these.