COVER STORY
Project Launch
Providing value to
organizations is the
purpose of projects and
project management.
Todayís projects take too
long to complete and add
value. One of the main
reasons is improper
planning from the
beginning. Too many
projects have false starts
and restarts. Many of the
key stakeholders are not in
agreement as to what the
project actually is to
accomplish. The Project
Launch is a proven,
successful way to initiate
and plan a project for a
quick start. This will lead
to a successful project and
help realize the intended
value.
©
28 2008 Management Concepts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Project Launch
Don J Wessels
D
ata from many industries suggests that a majority
of projects are not successful. They are delayed,
way over budget and fall short in quality. In
addition, they do not meet the project client’s functionality
needs and expectations. There are many surprises during
the project that cause alarm to everyone.
Most of the failures in these projects seem to come from a
lack of definition and planning. Even with very visible,
significant projects there seems to be a “Just-Do-It” (JDI)
mentality. This causes many problems with schedule,
budget and scope/quality. Risk management is done poorly,
if at all. Appropriate communication to all the stakeholders
and keeping the project visible are not done properly.
Project managers should be proactive and aggressive in
the managing their projects. They should be in control of
the project rather than the project being in control of them.
As a result of JDI there is no formal definition and planning
process in place. When JDI occurs there is no charter and
project plan to manage and the project team is in reactionary
mode. This becomes merely a reactionary, firefighting
process leading to an unsuccessful completion.
Many of today’s projects are large and have considerable
risk. They are directly aligned with the vision/mission,
strategies and goals of the organization. Many of them have
a dramatic effect on the company’s bottom line profitability.
It is essential that these projects be started properly with the
highest chance of success. Getting complete and accurate
information from the onset is crucial. It is important that
everyone is on the same plane and has the same perception
of the project from the beginning. Having understanding,
commitment and buy-in from all key stakeholders is a critical
part of success.
Project Launch
Project launch is a facilitated consulting process. It uses a
facilitator and a scribe to officially launch medium-to-large
projects. It is a focused, intense session to insure a successful
start to projects.
Projects and Profits
 COVER STORY

About the Author

Don J Wessels, PMP, Associate Director for Professional Development with the PMI IS SIG and a Senior
Consultant with Management Concepts, Project Management Division, Vienna, Virginia, USA. The author
can be reached at www.managementconcepts.com

The purposes of holding a facilitated project launch are to:

• Formally, launch the project to build a common understanding of the project definition,
scope and approach.
• Obtain stakeholder buy-in on the project objectives and scope.
• Determine success measurements.
• Build a strong project team with a common vision.
• Finalize and present the project baseline in the form of a charter and related
documentation for approval to move forward with the project.
It is essential that the launch follows industry-accepted ‘best practices and processes’.
Organizations have to adopt a consistent, repeatable process so that their project managers
can learn, practice and gain skills/competency. These processes and skills are then
demonstrated in the project launch.
Even when staff has been trained in project management there is some reluctance and
concern with having inexperienced people conduct the start of important projects. In some
cases, because of the size, complexity and political nature of some projects it is very beneficial
to have an experienced, outside facilitator launch the new project. Persons from outside
the organization do not come with any ‘baggage’ and are seen as impartial, unbiased.
They are experienced and have demonstrated successes.
When the effort being started is a very large program or initiative, it is even more critical
to have an experienced facilitator. Creating program-level documents and then translating
them to individual project-level documents is a large endeavor. If not recognized and done
correctly, the whole event will be handled as a series of non-related activities with little
chance of success.
Project Launch Process

Pre-launch Kick-off Meeting

Kick-off
Training Communications Session Follow-up
Meeting

The kick-off meeting is a meeting between the executive sponsor, project manager, project
launch facilitator and scribe. This two-to-four-hour meeting will occur prior to the actual
launch. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the key players. It also establishes the
lines of communication and sets the ground rules for decisions.
The meeting will establish the executive sponsor’s view of the upcoming project. The
sponsor will describe the project’s background, mission, strategic alignment and overall
September 2008 29
 Project Launch

business benefit and value that the project brings to the organization. The project’s
scope, objective, assumptions, risks and issues from the sponsor’s view will also be
discussed.
Additional meetings with other key stakeholders may be necessary. This will enable
the launch team to get as much preliminary information as possible. It will also allow the
team to answer any questions and make everyone aware of the processes and commitment
needed to be successful.
This information will be recorded by the scribe and, upon approval by the sponsor, will
be available in advance of the actual launch. This will create a ‘straw man’ set of information.
It will enable the launch to start with more than just a blank page.

Pre-launch Training
Kick-off
Training Communications Session Follow-up
Meeting

It is essential that all the participants of the project launch be familiar with the ‘best
practices’ of project management. It is highly recommended that all launch participants
attend a workshop on the principles of project management prior to the actual launch. At
the very least, the participants should be educated on the initiation and planning of projects.
This will probably require a day of time prior to the event. This will ensure that everyone
will be on the same plane with terminology and process. If the launch group is very
knowledgeable in project management then a one-day review/preparation session with
the facilitator will have them ready for the launch.

Pre-launch Communications
Kick-off
Training Communications Session Follow-up
Meeting

It is important that the right stage be set for the project launch. A communication needs
to be issued stating the purpose of the launch. How the project is tied to the vision/
mission of the organization must be shared. Information as to the value of the project is
important to share with the participants. Basic information concerning the process and
the dedication needed by the participants should be included. This should be put in a
very positive frame as to their importance and value to this endeavor. This should not be
a one-time event. Open, honest communications throughout the process are essential to a
successful launch and a successful project.

Pre-launch Session
Kick-off
Training Communications Session Follow-up
Meeting

Attendees at the launch should include members of the core team, support team and
subject matter experts in the various areas of the project. It is recommended that as many
30 Projects and Profits
 COVER STORY

participants of the project as possible should attend the launch. This will ensure information
accuracy, completeness and ownership/buy-in of the whole team.
Getting Started
Project sponsor or member of the Steering/Executive Committee will kick off the session by
stressing the importance and strategic alignment of the project. This will set a positive tone
for the entire launch.
Charter
The project definition process will include:
• Reviewing and finalizing scope (inclusions and exclusions) based on high-level,
preliminary requirements.
• Reviewing and finalizing objective.
• Establishment of the core team/support team.
• Identification of project priorities.
• Establishment of communication plan.
• Determining the change management plan.
• Creating team operating agreement.
• Creation of issues list.
• Creation of assumptions list.
• Creation of risk list.
• Identifying performance goals and measures.
• Establishment and documentation of competing demands.
High-level Plan
The planning process will include:
• Establishment of a level two or three Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
• Determination of skills that are necessary for the project.
• Identification of persons/organizations that will provide the skill.
• Forecast the work hours of effort and days of duration.
• Establish a network diagram.
• Identify the critical path.
• Determine schedule reserves and place them in the network.
• Develop a Gantt chart with a forecast of days of duration.
• Perform high-level resource loading and leveling.

September 2008 31
 Project Launch

• Forecast the project budget and budget reserves.

• Develop a high-level risk management plan.
The output from the project launch is a project charter and high-level plan with forecasts.
The launch process with the full team gives the best opportunity to have accurate and
complete information. Involving all possible participants in the project launch process
helps ensure ownership and commitment to the success of the project.
The project launch is an intense, focused process that usually will last from two-five
days depending on the size and complexity of the project/program. The sessions each day
typically last from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The consultants will then work late in the evening
to produce the day’s deliverables that will be necessary for the next day’s session. In
addition, the consultants will spend two or three days off site after the launch to prepare
the final deliverable for the client.
Best Practices
The actual launch should be conducted by experienced facilitators with additional personnel
performing the role of the scribe. Actually, two scribes are recommended to handle the
large volume of material that has to be captured on flip charts and then electronically. One
of the scribes should come from the launching organization. This helps with any questions
that arise during the translation to electronic format.
Post-launch
Kick-off
Training Communications Session Follow-up
Meeting

The launch should take place at an off-site location. Participants should be dedicated
to the launch for the entire session. Having individuals come and go disrupts the flow of
the process and hinders progress.
Hold regular weekly team meetings and facilitate small-group planning meetings
immediately after the launch to review project requirements develop the more detailed
project plans and schedules and build a high-performing, committed project team. Several
meetings will be needed to complete the detailed project plans and schedule.
Set up a project notebook (electronically and physically) that will serve as an archive
for all of the project documentation.
Conclusion
The project launch process has shown to be a very powerful and successful way to initiate
medium to large projects and programs. When done correctly, it provides a positive, quick
start to projects that will enable them to be more successful. It will also help build a
cohesive, high-performing team. The time, money and effort put into the launch are easily
justified and paid for by the overall success of the project. 
Reference # 17M-2008-09-05-01

32 Projects and Profits