Project Kickoff Checklist Template

Align stakeholders on goals, timeline, risks, and communication for new projects.

This free project management checklist template includes 6 tasks organized into 2 sections. Use it to streamline your project kickoff process.

Planning

  1. Define project goals and success criteria

    Clearly articulate what the project aims to achieve and how success will be measured. Include measurable KPIs where possible.

    • Project Goals (required)
    • Key Success Metric (required)

  2. Identify stakeholders

    List all stakeholders involved in this project, including their roles and level of involvement.

    • Project Sponsor (required)
    • Stakeholder List (required)

  3. Create project timeline

    Define key milestones and deadlines for the project. Include start and target completion dates.

    • Project Start Date (required)
    • Target Completion Date (required)

Alignment

  1. Assess risks

    Identify potential risks that could impact the project and outline mitigation strategies for each.

    • Identified Risks (required)
    • Overall Risk Level (required) — Options: Low, Medium, High, Critical

  2. Establish communication plan

    Define how the team will communicate throughout the project, including meeting cadence, channels, and status update frequency.

    • Status Update Frequency (required) — Options: Daily, Twice Weekly, Weekly, Bi-Weekly
    • Communication Channels (required) — Options: Email, Slack, Weekly Standup, Project Board, Shared Document

  3. Kickoff meeting

    Hold the kickoff meeting with all stakeholders to align on goals, timeline, roles, and next steps.

    • Meeting Date (required)
    • Meeting Notes