Plan and manage project/phase closure or transitions

It’s when the deliverables are transferred to their respective stakeholders, the project/phase closure report is prepared, and the project resources are released. The Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam explicitly discusses project or phase closure, ensuring candidates comprehend these concepts. The broad aspects of project or phase closure are planning and managing.

Planning Project or Phase Closure:

The closure stage is much more than just concluding a project or phase. It necessitates complete documentation that reflects the project’s entire journey. A crucial aspect of successful project and phase closure is planning, which should incorporate the following elements:

1. Project deliverables: Here, we need to affirm that the deliverables of the project align with the project’s initial scope, quality and are ready to be transferred to the correct stakeholders.
2. Project performance documentation: Ensure that the project’s successes and failures are properly documented, proving beneficial for prospective projects.
3. Release resources: Resources with project commitments like team members, hardware, software, machinery, and facilities should be discharged systematically.
4. Vendor contract closures: All external vendor contracts should be formally closed.

Managing Project or Phase Closure:

Transitioning of deliverables: The finalized project deliverables are handed over to the correct stakeholders, with significant consideration provided to the transition process to ensure a seamless move.

Final project report: A final report of the project’s performance, including its budgeting, scheduling, scope, and quality, should be documented. This helps analyze the project as a whole and provides insights.

Post-project review: A comprehensive review of the project’s outcome helps identify its successes and failures. It aids in identifying lessons learned and incorporating them into future ventures.

Project Archive: Creating a project archive that chapterizes all project documents, artifacts, and tools utilized during the project is a fundamental part of managing project closure.

Celebration: Recognizing team efforts and accomplishments can boost morale and act as positive reinforcement.

Example:

Let’s look at an example of a software development project. In the planning phase of project closure, the project manager checks the final software against the original scope, ensures that all features are working fine and are ready to be handed over to the client. All the signed contracts with external vendors, such as cloud service providers, are closed.

Managing the project closure involves transitioning the software to the client’s environment, providing all necessary documentation, training, and handover procedures. A final report is then drafted where the project completion time, budget, and quality are compared against the plan. A post-project review is done to learn the lessons and to formulate recommendations for future projects. All these items are then archived. Lastly, a project success celebration is organized to recognize the team effort.

Overall, project or phase closure is an essential element of project management that must be carefully planned and managed for a successful project completion. Moreover, its importance has been underlined in the PMP exam, necessitating its comprehensive understanding. By meticulously planning and managing project/phase closure or transitions right, organizations will benefit from efficient resource utilization, better stakeholder management, and continuous improvement.