Often overlooked, closing a project is as important as the other phases of project management. It constitutes a lever for continuous improvement in the company. Why should this step be taken care of? What are the elements to consider when finalizing a project? An update on good practices with Yvann Nzengue, engineer, trainer and project portfolio manager.
When the end of a project for which we have invested for months, even years, approaches, it can be tempting to rush the official closure of the latter. But concluding a project in a hurry, regardless of its size or sector of activity, will not benefit you, your team, and even less your company. At the risk of losing the opportunity to:
- reassure stakeholders and formally indicate the next steps to follow
- ensure work is completed and escalated to production and maintenance
- benefit from the learning acquired during the project
On the other hand, when given appropriate thought and attention, project closure provides teams and organizations with valuable lessons that create value for them and which can be used apply for future initiatives. The result: improved processes, reassured customers and explicitly planned future steps.
It is therefore necessary to take care of the closing phase of a project. Provided that a certain number of elements are taken into account.
1. Review the project transition plan
The first step to a successful conclusion is reviewing the project transition plan. Now is the time to tie up any loose ends and make sure nothing has been forgotten. Develop a comprehensive transition plan to provide your successor – the operations team, for example – with the key information for a successful transition.
This is also an opportunity to verify that the project deliverables have been achieved, transferred and correct any deficiencies, if any. This also involves ensuring that the contractual works are completed and taking necessary corrective measures; but otherwise to ensure that all payments have been made or scheduled and that all products/services have been received.
This step also allows you to review the identified transition tasks and activity leaders, documenting the project transition plan in the project closeout report. And, finally, to ensure that the transfer of knowledge to the transition team is completed.
| Task/Activity | Criticality | Due date | Responsible Person/Team | Status | Notes |
2. Do a postmortem
A true tool for continuous improvement, the post-mortem constitutes an essential step in project management. It consists of taking stock of all stages of the project, the challenges encountered and the solutions found. The objective: to carry out an evaluation of the project's performance, draw lessons from it and write a closing report.
3. Free up resources
Make sure all project stakeholders know the project is complete. Take the opportunity to congratulate them for the realization of the project and announce the next actions if there is still work to be done. Thus, the company can allocate resources to other projects with peace of mind.
In fact, it is first necessary to notify all parties concerned of the end of the project, for example, by e-mail. Then, formally close the project within the organization based on its internal processes and release project resources. Finally, ask the process manager to close the project code if necessary.
4. Archive documentation
You must retain all deliverables developed during the project. Not just closing deliverables, but all project-related deliverables from initiation to closeout. This data serves as a reference for future projects, but also as a training tool.
Another good practice, be sure to use or set up a simple, useful, usable and secure archiving and backup system.
5. Celebrate the end of the project
This is the last step in closing a project. Take the time to congratulate your team for the work accomplished. Therefore, celebrate your team's successes. You thus demonstrate the teamwork carried out and reinforce the development of the corporate culture.
The celebration can be done in several forms: a message of thanks, gifts, treats to share, breakfast, lunch or an aperitif. Take into account the preferences of each member of your team, you know them well! So, consider the group dynamics of your team and choose the option most liked by everyone.
All previous steps have been completed in full and the next steps are clearly planned. You can now focus on your next project with complete peace of mind.
The bottom line: The closing phase should be undertaken shortly before or shortly after the official end of the project. It should not intervene too early, at the risk of losing key resources, as they could be assigned to other projects. Communicate your results, debrief with your team and congratulate yourself.
