2.4. Project Close-Out Phase

2.4.1. Purpose

During the Close-out Phase, all project activities are completed and all deliverables are finalized. The project sponsor reviews the project and all testing is completed. Final reviews and documentation are completed and the customer accepts the final project deliverable. The activities of this phase also ensure that best practices are captured and can be shared, and that continuous improvement on both team and personal levels is practiced.


2.4.2. Project Manager Role

The project manager is responsible for archiving project documentation, obtaining deliverable sign-off, assessing customer satisfaction, capturing lessons learned, debriefing team members, and completing performance evaluations.

2.4.3. Inputs

􀂃 Completed, up-to-date project schedules

􀂃 All project documentation

􀂃 Quality Checklists

􀂃 Phase Sign-offs, as appropriate

2.4.4. Outputs

􀂃 Post Implementation Review

􀂃 Performance Evaluations

􀂃 Lessons Learned

􀂃 Project Evaluation

􀂃 Delivery of Final Documentation

􀂃 Project Sign-Off

􀂃 Customer Satisfaction Survey

2.4.5. Step-By-Step Process

1. Administrative Closure

The project manager is responsible for the administrative closure at the end of the project. This includes closing out all procurement contracts, matching up supplier invoices with payments, conducting performance reviews for the project team members and obtaining appropriate signatures to confirm completion of the project.

2. Survey the Project Participants

Gaining feedback from the project participants is critical to ensuring and measuring the success or failure of the project. Project managers will use the following Feedback Forms found in Appendix B to gather participant feedback:

􀂾 Performance Evaluations

􀂾 Customer Satisfaction Survey

Use the information gathered to compile a summary of how well the project met the objectives and expectations defined in the project charter.

3. Conduct Post Implementation Review

Post implementation meetings and/or case study documentation are important to capture the lessons learned to help steer future projects from pitfalls. Customer input as well as team member impressions can be valuable resource material in understanding and improving the project management process. These meetings also allow the project team to get together and discuss the project’s successes and failures while bringing the project to closure.

A non-threatening post implementation meeting with agreed ground rules might be conducted as follows:

􀂾 An agenda outlining the items to be discussed is routed to attendees in advance.

􀂾 Allow one hour for the meeting.

􀂾 Attendees leave their titles outside the meeting room so everyone is equal and feel they can express themselves freely.

􀂾 The meeting facilitator uses a flip chart with black and red markers.

􀂾 What went well? – (Black marker on the flip chart)

􀂾 What did not go so well? – (Red marker on a separate flip chart)

􀂾 Post-it notes ranking each item 4-most important to 1-least important placed beside what each team members feels are the top 4 important items.

􀂾 The top 5-10 items are recorded.

􀂾 List possible solutions to avoid repetition of mistakes in the future.

􀂾 Develop a team report for management from the information and solutions input by the attendees.

4. Develop Lessons Learned

Lessons can be learned from each and every project, even if the project is a failure. Some companies do not document lessons learned because employees are reluctant to sign their names to documents that indicate lessons learned were from mistakes or from a failed project. Consequently, many employees learn from their own mistakes but repeat the mistakes made by others due to lack of documentation.

The project manager is responsible for developing the lessons learned for the project with the assistance of the project team and owner. A complete summary from all closing activities should go into developing a comprehensive lessons learned summary.

5. Send Documentation to Repository

Once the project manager has completed the administrative closure and developed the lessons learned from the project, all project information should be sent to the repository for future reference, if needed. Project information includes the project notebook (with all project plans, schedules, and meeting minutes) and the lessons learned. This information will be used on future projects to assist other project managers and team members by eliminating previously encountered problems.

6. Hold Project Celebration

If the project has been successful, the project manager should hold a celebration for the project team. The entire team should have the opportunity to participate in the planning of the event. A team celebration provides an excellent opportunity to publicly and professionally acknowledge individual and/or team contributions and to present awards that may have been earned. The celebration will bring closure to the project for all project team members. Celebrations serve to foster a team-oriented culture that ultimately achieves success on future projects. Project managers should consider developing an award program by which outstanding performers can be recognized. Be creative with awards, but be sure they recognize individual

contributions to the project. Focus the awards on time or money saved, improved quality, leadership, technical know-how, or effective communication. All of these awards should be an encouragement to everyone and create a high level of enthusiasm for future projects.

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