Projects Closure
Closing a Project
Projects are by definition, temporary endeavour with commencement and ending periods. Wysocki (2012) identified project closure as the fifth process group in PMLC where the final product derived from the project is presented to the client according to specifications. The question of “how well did you do?” will be answered when client approves of the output, asset/output gets installed, audit tests post-implementation status and a final report submitted. The client’s acceptance of a project deliverable is a very important milestone as it sets in motion a key activity called “closure” which effectively brings to an end the project life cycle.
(Wysocki, 2012) also identified closing a process that involves the following milestones:
i. Getting client acceptance
ii. Ensuring that all deliverables are installed
iii. Ensuring that documentation is in place
iv. Getting client sign-off on the final report
v. Conducting post-implementation audit
vi. Celebrating the success
Client Acceptance – As a key trigger for project closure and a major milestone to every PM, client acceptance signifies that project output meets specifications and thus, brings to an end the “temporary endeavour” called project. At this stage, the project deliverables are reviewed and a verdict is passed by the client. This can be via a formal acceptance test procedure (ATP) between the client and the project team where the project team demonstrate key features of the project to confirm clients expectations while the client keeps a checklist to ensure compliance with scope requirements. In NLNG project closure procedure requires a thorough user acceptance test (UAT) with the project sponsors and end/super-users meeting the project handling firm before a project is declared closed. Client acceptance can also be informal for small projects that require just datelines or a few deliverables in place. A brief hand-over ceremony or a communication to
Projects are by definition, temporary endeavour with commencement and ending periods. Wysocki (2012) identified project closure as the fifth process group in PMLC where the final product derived from the project is presented to the client according to specifications. The question of “how well did you do?” will be answered when client approves of the output, asset/output gets installed, audit tests post-implementation status and a final report submitted. The client’s acceptance of a project deliverable is a very important milestone as it sets in motion a key activity called “closure” which effectively brings to an end the project life cycle.
(Wysocki, 2012) also identified closing a process that involves the following milestones:
i. Getting client acceptance
ii. Ensuring that all deliverables are installed
iii. Ensuring that documentation is in place
iv. Getting client sign-off on the final report
v. Conducting post-implementation audit
vi. Celebrating the success
Client Acceptance – As a key trigger for project closure and a major milestone to every PM, client acceptance signifies that project output meets specifications and thus, brings to an end the “temporary endeavour” called project. At this stage, the project deliverables are reviewed and a verdict is passed by the client. This can be via a formal acceptance test procedure (ATP) between the client and the project team where the project team demonstrate key features of the project to confirm clients expectations while the client keeps a checklist to ensure compliance with scope requirements. In NLNG project closure procedure requires a thorough user acceptance test (UAT) with the project sponsors and end/super-users meeting the project handling firm before a project is declared closed. Client acceptance can also be informal for small projects that require just datelines or a few deliverables in place. A brief hand-over ceremony or a communication to
References: 1. Young, M.L. (2010) PM Hut: A Complete Guide to Closing Projects. Available at: http://www.pmhut.com/a-complete-guide-to-closing-projects (Accessed: 20th April, 2013) 2. Wysocki, R. K. (2012) Effective project management traditional, agile, extreme, 4th Edition. Wiley, Indianapolis.