The importance of closing down phase of the project

The closing down phase of the project is often overlooked. This is partially due to the project teams’ workload in the large organisations- once the project is completed the teams move on to another assignment. Mostly however, this vital phase of the project is overlooked because the importance of it is underestimated.

Project closing down phase consists of the evaluation and reporting of the outcomes of the project and the review of the project team’s performance (Luecke, 2004, pp. 146). It also is the phase, where the managers can thank the persons involved and acknowledge the contribution. It should be run with and performed thoroughly. Although the project was completed, there may still be points that require closure, and if not, the assessment of the project process, results and the use of resources is as important as the planning for the project. As such, this phase is the time for the project team, stakeholders and sponsors to review the following:
1.Whether the project (as a whole and it’s particular stages) has been completed on schedule
2.Whether the budget of the project was adhered to and if not, was the total cost within the budget tolerance and/or by how much it has been exceeded and what caused it
3.Whether all project objectives have been met and all goals achieved
The evaluation of the above should be followed by the sign off- specifically point 3., as schedule and budget are usually approved before the project, and any changes to them are approved upfront.
Further, this evaluation allows for preparing the lessons learned- the summary of all that went wrong or not according to plan, and the proposed solution or alternative approach that should prevent the occurrence in the future. The lessons learned can also contain the list of project’s successes- this is especially beneficial if the team overcome major obstacles during the project.
It is highly important that all of these processes are formal and documented. This way, the relevant persons’ sign off can be obtained, and the project documentation can be stored for future reference. As all of the project documentation is shared with the Client, the evaluating documentation should be kept in line with the project standard.
This last phase of the project also bears a high psychological value. Regardless of whether the project ended successfully or not, this is the time of closedown and important reconciliation.
Finally, once the evaluation is completed and approvals are in place, the management team can acknowledge the contribution of project team to the organisation and express their gratitude..


References:
Luecke, R. “Managing Project Large and Small. The Fundamental Skills for Delivering on Budget and on Time”; Harvard Business Essentials; Harvard Business School Press; Massachusetts; 2004

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The importance of closing down phase of the project