---
title: "Kick-off agenda"
source: 18F Guides
source_url: https://github.com/18F/guides
licence: CC0-1.0
domain: engineering
subdomain: 18f-guides
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

{% include 'derisking-government-tech/pdf_document_download.html' doc_type_name: "agenda" pdf_url: "/assets/derisking-government-tech/dist/sample-kickoff-agenda.pdf" %}

---

## Day 1

<table class="kick-off-table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Session</th>
      <th>Purpose</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p class="session-name">Introduction</p>
        <p class="session-time">60 minutes</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>The vendor team meets agency staff responsible for the project.</p>
        <p>Attendees: Active project members only. Consider inviting a senior executive to kick off the meeting to signal the importance of the project and how invested the agency is in its success.</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p class="session-name">Contract logistics</p>
        <p class="session-time">30 minutes</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>The contracting officer goes over contract administration items such as invoicing, delegation of duties, etc.</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## Day 2

<table class="kick-off-table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Session</th>
      <th>Purpose</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p class="session-name">What the agency knows or has learned so far</p>
        <p class="session-time">60 minutes</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>Recap discovery phase findings.</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p class="session-name">QASP and deliverables</p>
        <p class="session-time">90 minutes or less</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>Review the deliverables and associated quality indicators or QASP elements. Create a schedule for when to revisit the quality indicators or QASP (and when to update it, if needed). </p>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p class="session-name">Group alignment exercise</p>
        <p class="session-time">60 minutes</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>Surfaces risks, hopes, and fears from the development team, including the product owner, technical lead, and contracting officer representative. Some exercises include Assumptions and Risks, or [Hopes and Fears]({{ ).</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## Day 3

<table class="kick-off-table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Session</th>
      <th>Purpose</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p class="session-name">Vendor asynchronous time</p>
        <p class="session-time">half to full day</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>Gives the vendor time to read over materials and prepare questions for future sessions.</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## Day 4

<table class="kick-off-table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Session</th>
      <th>Purpose</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p class="session-name">User research findings</p>
        <p class="session-time">60 minutes</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>For review of any user research already conducted, including methods and user groups who’ve already been contacted, and to begin discussing how findings from the user research should inform the future build.</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p class="session-name">Technical overview of constraints and architecture</p>
        <p class="session-time">60 minutes</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>Describes the agency’s technical landscape and any limitations that the development team may encounter. May also include an overview of the Authorization to Operate (ATO) process and other compliance requirements.</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## Day 5

<table class="kick-off-table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Session</th>
      <th>Purpose</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p class="session-name">Write team charter</p>
        <p class="session-time">60 minutes</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>Government and vendor team discuss how they want to work together and make decisions.</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <p class="session-name">Open working session</p>
        <p class="session-time">60 minutes</p>
      </td>
      <td>
        <p>Allows the vendor to select the topic area and lead this session.</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>
