The successful closure of a project or phase is a critical component in the process of effective project management. Project professionals applying for Project Management Professional (PMP) certification must grasp this area to successfully manage and complete projects or phases within their organizations. This criterion can assist with identifying whether a project or phase has achieved its set objectives and goals or not, mitigating risks, confirming the assignment of tasks, and facilitating continuous improvement efforts.
1. Determine the Scope and the Schedule:
The scope defines what the project will accomplish, and the schedule establishes when the final deliverables need to be completed. Therefore, meeting both the scope and schedule criteria is an important indicator of successful project closure. For instance, if a project was tasked with developing a new software application within a six-month schedule, its successful closure would require the application to be fully functional and delivered on time.
2. Alignment with Project Objectives:
One of the key criteria to successfully close a project or phase is to ensure that the project’s objectives have been met fully. This criteria serves as a marking guide to record milestone achievements throughout the project management process. Project managers need to compare the results with the planned goals and objectives to determine project success. For example, if one of the objectives of a project was to increase the company’s market share by 5%, the project is only successfully closed if this objective is attained.
3. Quality Deliverables:
The deliverables must be in line with the defined quality standards before project closure. Deliverables are more than just the final outcome of a project; they are the product, service, or result that comes as a result of the project. The project manager and stakeholders should examine these deliverables against the agreed-upon quality standards. Any shortcomings in quality might mean revisiting project tasks, leading to project or phase closure delays.
4. Stakeholder Satisfaction:
Satisfaction of stakeholders is another crucial criterion on which the success of project closure hinges. Project teams need to meet stakeholder expectations, which includes not just satisfying the requirements but also ensuring effective communication, stakeholder involvement, and healthy project relationships. This can be measured through feedback surveys or interviews with the stakeholders.
5. Budget Compliance:
The final budget should adhere as closely as possible to the approved budget. This criterion depends heavily on effective cost management throughout the project or phase. Project Managers need to monitor costs regularly to see that they align with the approved budget, and if deviations do occur, they must be adequately justified or rectified.
6. Risk and Issue Management:
Proper risk and issue management must have been performed throughout the project. This criterion could cover the effectiveness of the risk and issue management process, the severity of the issues encountered, and the final status of all identified risks and issues.
7. Proper Documentation:
Documentation is the roadmap that guides project managers throughout the project lifecycle. Therefore, before closing the project, project managers must ensure that all project knowledge, lessons learned, and project experiences have been adequately documented for future reference.
The key to successful project or phase closure is a structured approach, an in-depth understanding of the processes involved, and effective general management skills. Any prospective PMP certificant must grasp these critical aspects, as they will play a crucial role in not only the PMP exam but also their project management career.
Remember that the real indicator of project success lies not just in bringing the project or phase to a closure within the defined time and budget, but in delivering a complete solution that meets the business needs and is acceptable to the stakeholders.
Practice Test
True or False: Closing out a project includes a final project report.
- Answer: True.
Explanation: This signifies the formal end of the project and is used to show that all project work has been completed as per the agreed-upon project plan.
The Final Report should include what element:
- a) Project objectives
- b) Overall project performance
- c) Both.
Answer: c) Both.
Explanation: All final reports should include the project objectives and assessment of the overall project performance.
True or False: After a project or phase is closed, it’s unnecessary to perform a lessons-learned review.
- Answer: False.
Explanation: Under project management, it is essential to carry out a lessons-learned review to understand what was successful and what needs improvement for future projects.
Which document is updated to reflect the completion of project work?
- a) The resource management plan
- b) The cost baseline
- c) The project charter
- d) The scope baseline
Answer: b) The cost baseline.
Explanation: The cost baseline is updated to reflect the actual cost at the completion of the project.
True or False: Release of the project team is a part of closing the project.
- Answer: True.
Explanation: Release of project team allows human resources to be reassigned to new projects once their role in the current project is completed.
Which group is responsible for signing off on project completion?
- a) The project team
- b) The project stakeholder
- c) The sponsor/customer
- d) The project manager
Answer: c) The sponsor/customer
Explanation: Sign off from sponsor/customer is critical for formal closure because it signifies their acceptance of the project outcome.
True or False: Closure documents are only relevant for large-scale projects.
- Answer: False.
Explanation: All project, regardless of size or complexity, should have closure documents to provide a record of project outcomes.
The closing phase includes
- a) Updating the risk register
- b) Informing stakeholders the project is closed
- c) Selecting a new project manager
- d) Updating the project management plan
Answer: b) Informing stakeholders the project is closed
Explanation: Communication of project closure to all stakeholders is vital to ensure everyone is aware that the project has been formally completed.
What should happen to the project’s product, service, or result after closing?
- a) It should be archived
- b) It should be transitioned to the appropriate team
- c) It should be discarded
- d) It should be included in the final report
Answer: b) It should be transitioned to the appropriate team
Explanation: The product, service, or result achieved from the project has to be transitioned to the operations team or another designated team for maintenance or further development.
True or False: Administrative closure procedure is only relevant if the project was cancelled.
- Answer: False.
Explanation: Administration closure procedure is used to finalize every project, canceled or completed. It includes verifying and documenting project results to formalize acceptance of the project’s deliverables by the sponsor.
Interview Questions
What does the criteria to successfully close a project or phase typically include?
The criteria typically include meeting project objectives, delivering all deliverables on time, staying within budget, and receiving formal acceptance from the stakeholder(s).
What is the main goal of the project closeout phase?
The main goal of the project closeout phase is to ensure that all elements of the project are properly closed and that lessons learned have been documented for future reference.
Why is getting formal acceptance from stakeholders important to close a project or phase successfully?
Formal acceptance from stakeholders ensures that the project has fulfilled its objectives to the satisfaction of the beneficiaries and frees up the assigned resources for other tasks.
How is the success of a project or phase determined?
Success of a project or phase is determined by verifying whether the project objectives as stated in the project charter and scope statement have been met or not.
Why is documenting lessons learned an important part of project closure?
Documenting lessons learned is important because it provides valuable insights for future projects. It helps in avoiding the same mistakes and replicating the successful strategies in future projects.
What are some of the tasks involved in the administrative closure process?
Some tasks involved in the administrative closure process include verifying and documenting project results, obtaining acceptance of deliverables, conducting a project review, recording lessons learned, and archiving project documents.
What are some of the documents that need to be archived when closing a project?
Some examples include the project charter, project plan, risk register, status reports, change logs, and any other documentation produced during the project.
Who is responsible for formally closing a project or phase?
The project manager is responsible for formally closing a project or phase.
What is a project audit and why is it important during the project closure phase?
A project audit is an examination of the project’s processes and outcomes. It’s important in the closure process as it helps to ensure that the project has been completed correctly, identifies any issues and lessons learned, and documents the project’s overall performance for future reference.
What is the role of a project management office (PMO) in project closure?
A PMO might facilitate the process of project closure, ensuring that all necessary procedures are followed, all documentation is in order, and the lessons learned are properly recorded for future use.
What happens if a phase in a project can’t be successfully closed?
If a phase can’t be successfully closed, it should be revisited and corrective measures taken. This may mean revising the scope, adjusting resources, or implementing other project management solutions.
How can the project scope checklist be beneficial during the project closure?
The project scope checklist can be used to validate that all aspects of the project or phase were indeed completed before declaring it closed.
What impact does the successful closure of a project have on stakeholders?
Successful closure of a project not only gives stakeholders a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction but also ensures their needs have been met. It also influences their trust and willingness to engage in future projects.
Why is handing over project deliverables to the right owners an important part of project closure?
Ensuring project deliverables are handed over to the right owners is important as it ensures they are appropriately utilized and maintained, and also signifies the completion and closure of the project.
What role does communication play in the project closure phase?
Communication plays a vital role. Keeping stakeholders informed, documenting and sharing lessons learned, and administratively closing all project contracts require effective communication.
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