What’s inside this 5 W’s Kick-off Meeting Template:

1Vision

Why: Provide the business sponsor’s view of the desired outcomes to be produced for the business after successfully completing the project.

2Success Criteria

How much: Define the standards that the project will be judged at delivery to decide whether or not it has been successful in the eyes of the stakeholders.

3Scope

What: Provide the boundaries of the project including what will and will not be part of the delivery effort.

• Dependencies and constraints
• Assumptions
• Risks and issues
• Communication plan

4Stakeholder Analysis

Who: Identify the individuals or groups that are likely to affect or be affected by the project, and understand them according to their impact.

5Schedule

When: Identify milestones, activities, and deliverables necessary to build the business case.

6Methodology

How: Identify any stage gates that are important and what those gates mean as a team. 

7Logistics

Where: Understand where the main project activities will be located, and if you have remote project team members they will need to understand what mechanism will be used to connect.