Project Scheduling and Documentation

One of the most important documents in a project is the kickoff presentation. Because this document formally begins, or “kicks off,” project development, it can only be created after the project has been planned, approvals have been obtained, and personnel are in place. A good kickoff presentation communicates succinctly to all attendees what needs to be accomplished to complete the project, in what order, and by whom. It sets expectations and, ideally, energizes project team members. The desired outcome of a project kickoff presentation is for team members to begin tackling the first defined project tasks and know whom to contact if they encounter delays.

For this assignment, you will create a kickoff presentation in Microsoft® PowerPoint® based on the draft project plan you created in the Week 1 Project Plan Draft individual assignment.

To complete this assignment:

Review the “Kickoff Presentation” section in Ch. 9, “Communication; Project Communication Strategy; from Project Kickoff to Daily Meetings,” of The Complete Software Project Manager: Mastering Technology from Planning to Launch and Beyond.

Create an 8- to 9-slide project kickoff presentation in Microsoft® PowerPoint® similar to this Project Kickoff sample template. The kickoff presentation you create should include details pertaining to the project you defined in the Week 1 Project Plan Draft assignment, including budget details as appropriate. Specifically, your presentation should include:

• A high-level project definition
• Business case (a description of the business problem/opportunity the plan is designed to solve/exploit)
• Project approach
• Description of team members and roles
• Project scope
• Out of scope
• Timeline
• Budget and budget reporting
• Risks, cautions, and disclaimers