Create Kick Off Checklist

kick-off-checklist.md

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#Guidance on what planning is required before a new project starts
+
+###When to use this:
+- Launching a new product that does not already exist in our architecture
+- Changing supplier for a pre-existing product
+
+###When not to use this:
+- Iterating an existing product’s features (optimisations)
+- Front end work only where product already exists within HAPI 
+
+(not all meetings will be applicable, but some may still be useful - case by case basis)
+
+
+####1. Kick-off meeting
+Overview meeting with the development team to explain:
+- The purpose of the project (benefits)
+- The scope of the work including key features (customer requirements) 
+- Resource required (if outside of pod)
+- Deadlines
+The purpose of this meeting is to socialise the project with the development team and ensure there is buy in and awareness of the challenges, albeit at a high level at this stage.
+
+####2. TPM
+Technical planning meeting between development team and Software Architects, Data Architect, UXUI Architect to:
+- Identify holistic architectural solution that is feasible, viable and acceptable
+- Identify specific systems to be used and current capabilities (gap analysis)
+- Identify support needs from tech leadership group
+The TPM should be spiked within the sprint and the notes from the meeting attached as this forms the framework for the development work going forwards.
+
+####3. Ad hoc meetings with rest of business
+After the TPM, setup discussions with other areas of the business affected. These could be:
+- Finance (CHIPS)
+- CC (Monsters)
+- Communications (HXCM)
+- SEO (HXSEO)
+- Marketing
+- Data & Insights
+If these discussions reveal requirements not discussed at the TPM then it is appropriate to either seek further advice from the SA group or to reconvene the TPM to discuss in more detail - depending on the scale and scope of requirements.
+
+####4. Supplier visit
+The supplier will send their developers to HX office, to give us the opportunity to:
+- Raise and answer any questions about the tech
+- Create a proof of concept - a working version of the tech which will surface any unknowns early on
+- Build relationship with supplier’s technical contact(s)
+There is significant value in having these meetings, and the whole development team is encouraged to make themselves available so they share knowledge from the outset.
+
+####5. Ticket creation
+Developers and PO work together to:
+- Create initial tickets of work required to in the project
+- Create the epic to link tickets to
+- Identify key tasks at a high level, dependencies and any unknowns which need further investigation.
+These tickets can be coarse grained at the outset, and through backlog reviews and sprint planning meetings will be broken down into further detail. 
+
+####6. Milestones set
+Developers & PO work together to:
+- Determine the milestones for the project, working backwards from the end date. 
+- Short and long stop dates included to give a ‘buffer’. 
+- Dependencies identified & mitigated.
+The outcome of this meeting is a plan (Gantt chart or similar) that can be shared with all stakeholders (including external) to aid their understanding of what’s involved & mark progress as project commences.
+