How to Plan a Project for Closure
I recently discussed 4 Reasons Why the Last 2% of a Project Take Forever to Complete. If you are plagued with a similar problem, keep the suggestions below in mind to make sure your next project comes to a graceful end.
Begin with the End in Mind
There is definitely value in keeping the end in mind when it comes to closing out a project. Up front, establish and define your project objectives, objective measures and specifications—emphasis on objective. There is a big difference between saying that the result of the project will “look good” (very subjective…who is it supposed to look good for?) and “the color will be green, the size 6’ x 6’, and it will be made of a particular type of wood.” The second is very specific, objective and is easy for people to compare and validate.
Prepare a Checklist of What Must Be Done to Close a Project Out
Once specific objectives are clearly defined, it is now time to put together a checklist of all of those items that must be completed before a project is considered finished. Compile your list by answering the following questions:
Are All Project Activities Finished? Have all necessary meetings been conducted? Have other departments or the marketplace been made aware that this project is complete? Are there any other activities that may have been missed up to this point that need to be complete?
Are All Required Deliverables Complete? This is a good time to reflect on the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Take an objective stroll through this document and ask yourself if all tangible deliverables have been completed. This includes documentation, training guides, and other deliverables that may not be mission-critical but are nonetheless important to the closure of the project.
Have All Necessary Acceptances and Approvals been Obtained? This is one area where newer project managers run into trouble. Not to be negative here, but the reality is that you sometimes can’t take people for their word. Getting them to sign off on something guarantees that selective memory will not be an issue. I’ve seen an approving manager of a department verbally say “Yes” but not commit it to writing way too many times. Then, when something goes wrong after the project has been delivered…they can’t seem to recall giving their verbal approval.I cannot stress enough how important it is to get approvals in writing during the lifecycle of a project. You never, ever want to stray too far away from these approvals. It forces the person providing their signature to be accountable for their actions and to look at the deliverable prior to saying it is ready to go.
Have all Required Administrative Tasks Been Performed? This includes closing out any open contracts, making sure any and all time has been entered against the project, billing is complete and people on the project have been released and/or are assigned to new projects.
Are All Project Documents and Deliverables Archived? You want to make sure that all documentation related to a project is in a central repository for easy access later. It may serve as the basis for a similar project in the future, or it may be helpful when you need to answer questions that arise in the future about a project. It’s also a good place to store Lessons Learned, although you should make sure those are in another location as well, so that you can actively implement them in future projects.
Include Project Closure Activities in the Project Plan
Once you know how to plan a project for closure, you need to include those activities in your project plan. It’s easy to take closing steps for granted because they occur around the end of the project, and many times even after the project has been delivered. Starting with the end in mind and pulling the proper documentation together takes time. You need to budget that time into your plan; otherwise, you will find that this most important step may not get done.
If you realize that “it ain’t over until it’s over” you are well along the way to understanding how to plan a project for closure.
