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Project Closure

September 18, 2007 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Project Closure

Project Closure
By JISC infoNet

A project has a beginning (Project Start-up) a middle (the iterative loop of Planning, Managing, Controlling, Reporting and Re-planning) and an end (Project Closure). This may be stating the obvious but probably we can all think of projects that have either gone on since time immemorial or simply faded away.

The project should be formally closed to ensure that:

  • The customers have formally accepted all outcomes
  • Operational procedures are in place
  • The handover to operational staff has been completed
  • Documentation and reference material is in place
  • Any further actions and recommendations are documented and disseminated
  • The results are disseminated to relevant people
  • There are no loose ends

Project closure can be a very hectic time when reporting is on a daily (or even more frequent) basis and the manager is working at a much lower level of detail than previously (probably with itemised check-lists) to ensure that all loose ends are tied up. However planning for this phase must commence much earlier on.

It can be a time of mixed feelings for the project team. Hopefully they will feel satisfaction at a job well done but you need to ensure they are neither:

  • Worried about what the future will hold or
  • So eager to get on with the next project that they leave things unfinished

The exit strategy for the project staff must be clear so that they feel adequately supported whether they are going on to new projects, returning to routine jobs or leaving the organisation. The end of the project is also the start of routine use of the outcomes. The handover to staff who will carry out normal operations must also be planned so that those staff feel ownership of the project outcomes and are ready to champion them.

It can be tempting to skimp on final documentation, particularly if the project is already late or overspent. However projects that are late or overspent are prime examples of situations where you need to record exactly what did happen to inform the planning of future projects. Planning in time for proper recording and evaluation also helps the project team to feel that their efforts will be of lasting value.

In this final phase the project manager will be juggling the monitoring of fine detail with a review of the strategic objectives to ensure the project does actually achieve the desired outcomes.

Post Project Review

In many cases the benefits (or unexpected problems) of a project can’t be assessed until the change has been in place for some time. The review process is therefore incomplete without a post project review and evaluation. This is required to check whether:

  • outcomes are those expected;
  • projected benefits have occurred;
  • operational working is as planned;
  • costs are as expected.

The project sponsor has overall responsibility for ensuring that the desired business benefits are achieved and it may be the sponsor who leads the review, particularly if the project manager has gone on to other duties.

The review will also highlight any unanticipated issues and highlight any further changes required.

JISC infoNet aims to be the UK’s leading advisory service for managers in the post-compulsory education sector promoting the effective strategic planning, implementation and management of information and learning technology.

Related workshops can be found here.

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