Project Closure/
Close-out Phase
Project Closure
• Involves bringing a project to a conclusion in an
orderly fashion
• As the project winds down, most of the
interesting work has been accomplished
• Difficult to get staff to focus on doing those things
that must be done to complete a project properly.
Evaluation at Project Termination
• Serves as a “lessons-learned” function
• Fundamental problems
• How can we ensure that these lessons are actually
communicated to and used by others?
• How do we get evaluation findings off the shelf and
put to use?
Evaluation
• Is undertaken periodically
• Is concerned with whether basic project
objectives are being achieved
• Evaluation results may lead to:
• Basic shifts in project direction
• Reassessment of project objectives
• Abandonment of the project
Major consequences of
Mid-Project Evaluation
Are we meeting
our basic
objectives?
No Yes
Are our basic Are our basic
objectives still objectives still
worthwhile? worthwhile?
No Yes No Yes
Do we want to Do we want to
change our basic Adjust project plan to change our basic Continue with project
objectives? meet objectives objectives
No Yes No Yes
Change objectives Change objectives and
Terminate project Terminate project
and continue with project continue with project
Post-Completion Review
• As-built design (final configuration)
• A comparison of final costs and benefits for feeding
back to the estimating process, and to the selection of
future projects
• A record of the technical achievements on the
project for feeding back to the design and
selection of future projects
• A review of the successes and failures of the project
and the lessons learned, for feeding back to the
management of future projects.
Emotional Problems of
Project Termination
Project Staff
1. Fear of no future work
2. Loss of interest in tasks remaining
3. Loss of project-derived motivation
4. Loss of team identity
5. Selection of personnel to be reassigned
6. Reassignment methodology
7. Diversion of effort
Emotional Problems of
Project Termination
Client
1. Change in attitude
2. Loss of interest
3. Change of personnel dealing with the project
4. Unavailability
Resolution of the Emotional Problems
• Define the project termination as a project
• Provide a team identity
• Bring the team together frequently
• Reach out to the project staff
Benefits from an Orderly and
Systematic Closeout
• Personal and organisational credit for
closure
• Availability of future support for the
project’s deliverables
Intellectual Problems of
Project Termination
Internal
1. Identification of remaining deliverables
2. Certification needs
3. Identification of outstanding commitments
4. Control of changes to the project
5. Screening of uncompleted tasks not needed
6. Closure of work orders and work packages
7. Identification of physical facilities assigned to the project
8. Accumulation and structuring of project historical data
9. Disposing of project material rationales
Intellectual Problems of
Project Termination
External
1. Agreement with client on remaining deliverables
2. Obtaining needed certifications
3. Agreement with suppliers on outstanding commitments
4. Communicating closures
5. Closing down physical facilities
6. Determining external requirements for audit trail data
Finishing the Work
· Producing checklists of outstanding work to ensure that all
loose ends are tied up
· Planning and controlling at lower levels of work breakdown to
provide tighter control
· Holding more frequent control meetings to ensure that problems
are identified and solved sufficiently early
· Planning the run-down of the project team as the work runs
down to ensure that people are released for other work
Finishing the Work
· Creating a task force with special responsibility for
completing outstanding work
· Closing contracts with suppliers and subcontractors to
ensure that no unnecessary costs are booked
· Replacing the project manager by a deputy with finishing
skills
"One never notices what has been done;
one can only see what remains to be
done.“
Marie Curie
