Diagnostic Kickoff Checklist

Confirm scope, stakeholders, interviews, observation, governance and client responsibilities before diagnostic work begins.

Before the meeting

• Sponsor confirmed
• Process owner confirmed
• Business question drafted
• Process start/end boundary drafted
• Stakeholder list prepared
• Interview plan prepared
• Screen-observation candidates identified where useful
• Security/privacy questions identified

During kickoff

• Confirm objective and success criteria
• Confirm scope and exclusions
• Confirm stakeholder groups
• Confirm interview approach
• Confirm whether screen observation will be used and with whom
• Confirm timeline and dependencies
• Confirm review/validation sessions
• Confirm decision-makers
• Confirm confidentiality and consent approach
• Confirm weekly communication cadence

After kickoff

• Send decision/action summary
• Launch stakeholder invitations
• Track missing participant coverage
• Record assumptions and risks
• Escalate blockers early

A kickoff is successful when everyone agrees what question the engagement is answering, whose evidence is needed and what decision the final report should enable.