An agenda outlines the contents of an upcoming meeting. It provides an ordered sequence of items to be discussed and gives participants a sense of purpose and direction. Effective agendas familiarize participants with topics, indicate expected prior knowledge and outcomes. They are usually distributed several days before meetings to allow preparation. Agendas should include the meeting start and end times, location, topic headings with details, allocated time per topic, and expected main participants. Guidelines recommend creating the agenda 3 days in advance, being clear on goals, starting simply, listing attendees and logistics, using descriptive headings, keeping it under 5 topics, and indicating length.