Project kick-off meeting: agenda, attendees and what to agree

When is it held?

After the contract or letter of award is signed and before work starts on site, usually within two weeks of the notice to proceed. The owner or the consultant calls it, and the contractor prepares a presentation of how it will deliver the work.

Who attends?

• Owner: the authorised representative and the owner's project manager.
• Supervising consultant: the resident engineer and the discipline engineers.
• Contractor: project manager, site engineer, HSE officer, QA/QC engineer and technical office.
• When needed: the main subcontractors, and facilities management if the building is occupied.

Suggested agenda

1. Introduction of the three teams, their roles and authority.
2. Project overview, scope and its limits, and works by others.
3. Contractor organisation and communication lines.
4. Contract administration: authorised representatives, instructions and variations, payment applications, bonds and insurances, permits.
5. Approvals and submittals: shop drawings, material approvals and review periods.
6. Programme, key dates and sequence of work.
7. Health, safety and environment, and site arrangements.
8. Quality: quality plan, inspection requests and acceptance forms.
9. Handover, close-out and the defects liability period.
10. Next steps, owners and dates.

What must be agreed clearly?

• Correspondence: who writes to whom, letter and submittal numbering, and the official channel.
• Instructions and variations: every instruction or change in writing through the consultant; no change on a verbal order.
• Submittal review period: days to respond to drawings and materials, and what happens when a reply is late.
• Inspection requests: notice period before an inspection, and who signs the acceptance.
• Payment applications: the monthly cycle and the supporting documents.
• Regular meetings: the weekly meeting day, weekly and monthly reports, and how soon minutes are issued.
• Working hours: especially in occupied buildings, and works that need a special permit or night work.

Documents the contractor brings

• An initial programme from Primavera P6, followed by the baseline for approval.
• Organisation chart and contact list.
• Planned submittal register for drawings and materials.
• HSE plan and quality plan, or the date they will be submitted.
• Site layout: offices, storage, access and assembly points.
• Proposed subcontractors and suppliers for approval.

The minutes

Minutes are issued within a few days of the meeting and state the decision, the owner and the date for each item. They are taken as agreed if no comments are received within the agreed period. These minutes are the reference for any later dispute about how the work runs.

Common mistakes

• A presentation full of the contractor's internal data that neither the owner nor the consultant needs.
• No named authorised representatives, so instructions arrive from several people.
• Review and inspection periods left open, then the programme slips because of them.
• Leaving handover to the end instead of agreeing early on close-out documents, as-built drawings and O&M manuals.
• No record of the existing building's condition before starting refurbishment or fit-out work.

Read also the baseline programme in Primavera P6 and what a method statement contains, or see our consultancy and project management services.

Frequently asked questions

What is a project kick-off meeting?

The first formal meeting between the owner, the consultant and the contractor after award, where the way of working, communication, approvals, programme and safety are agreed before work starts.

Who attends the kick-off meeting?

The owner's representative and project manager, the consultant's resident engineer and discipline engineers, the contractor's project manager, site engineer, HSE and QA/QC leads, and the main subcontractors when needed.

What does the contractor present at the kick-off meeting?

A presentation covering the team and organisation, scope, initial programme, submittal register, HSE and quality plans and site arrangements.

When are the kick-off minutes issued?

Within a few days of the meeting, stating the decision, owner and date for each item; they are taken as agreed if no comments arrive within the agreed period.