Project Management in a Nutshell: Close Your Project

TL;DR

Learn about the seven essential disciplines for closing a project, including handing over deliverables, reviewing project performance, and celebrating success.

Transcript

hello I'm dr. Mike Clayton founder of online p.m. courses and this is the fourth of our series of four short video seminars about project management in the previous seminars we've looked at defining your project planning your project and delivering your project so now it's time to look at closing your project down in an orderly fashion and we're go... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤘 The closing stage of a project involves handing over deliverables and getting sign-off from the client or operational manager.
• 😤 Reviewing the project's performance helps the team be accountable for their work and understand how it aligned with the original plans.
• 👋 Lessons learned reviews should focus on institutionalizing good practices and offering recognition for good performance.
• 📽️ Clearing project admin tasks is crucial to properly closing a project.
• 😤 Celebrating the completion of a project boosts team morale and confidence.
• 📽️ Creating a project closure memo signifies the project is complete and passed on for final confirmation.
• 📽️ Online project management courses offer comprehensive learning options for individuals at different stages of their project management careers.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the first step in closing a project?

The first step in closing a project is to hand over the final deliverables and receive sign-off from the client or operational manager.

Q: What should be reviewed during a project delivery review?

A project delivery review should assess how the project performed in terms of budget, schedule, and specifications, providing accountability for the project team.

Q: When should an outcomes or benefits review be conducted?

An outcomes or benefits review should occur between six and 18 months after the project handover to evaluate what was achieved using the project's deliverables.

Q: Why is it important to review lessons learned during project closure?

A lessons learned review allows the team to reflect on their experiences, identify good practices, and recognize areas for improvement, providing valuable insights for future projects.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The first step in closing a project is to hand over and receive sign-off on the final deliverables.

• Review the project's performance to understand how it matched up to the original plans in terms of budget, schedule, and specifications.

• Conduct a lessons learned review to identify what went well and what could be improved in future projects.