The project kick-off meeting for an Erasmus+ mobility communicates the project goals and objectives to ensure the project team and client are both clear on what their tasks are for a successful project. This activity is part of the Erasmus+ project initiation phase. A kick-off meeting is usually led by the project manager.
That’s a lot of information to pass on to the Erasmus+ project team. How can you make sure that everyone walks out of the kick-off meeting with all the knowledge they need? While there will be frequent meetings throughout the project, the Erasmus+ kick-off meeting is unique in that it involves the entire project team.
The agenda of the Erasmus+ meeting should be very clear and typed up on paper in steps, so everyone has clear view of what’s involved. If you have pre-set agenda, you will have more time to discuss topics rather than not knowing what needs to be discussed (and what doesn’t need to be discussed!). Having an agenda means you have full command over how the meeting unfolds, and you should always share the agenda in advance with your client and team.
During the meeting, the project manager should explain the project scope, background information and project timeline to the team. A kick-off meeting should set the right tone for the project as it moves into the execution, monitoring and controlling phases. A well-run kick-off meeting could lead to a successful project completion.
The kick-off meeting also lets the project manager introduce the project team. It’s important that everyone knows who they’re working with and what their roles and responsibilities are. This avoids conflicts later in the project that could delay work and threaten the project timeline.
The meeting is ideal for the team involved to ask the project manager questions so they gain a firm grasp on the project and their role. As this meeting occurs in person, and not over email or through the use of shared documents, you reduce the possibility of miscommunication. This helps to avoid confusion later on down the line.
The kick-off agenda should feature the following items, all of which are crucial to a successful kick-off meeting: