Closing a Project Is a

¶ … Closing A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and an end. It creates a unique product or result; the distinguishing characteristics of which are progressively detailed as the project is better understood through an iterative planning and execution process. The Project Management Institute (PMI) has published its Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK, 2010) which breaks down the work of a project into five process groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing.

The Closing process group is the least discussed and often ignored step in the entire history of projects. All too often, projects never seem to officially finish. The project manager goes on to other things and the work of the project just stops. Experience shows that there is value to be learned from any project -- even a failure.

According to the research of the Standish Group (2011), more than half of all formal projects are not successful because they do not satisfy the triple constraint of: delivered on time, on or under budget, and works as required. An effective Closing process is considered a key factor in improving project success rates. Project managers are advised to review case studies to gain valuable knowledge from the documented lessons learned.

Project Management Best Practices Jeff Merron (2011) observes that the best way to achieve success is to assemble an experienced team, set clear objectives, and monitor progress of individuals in a way that allows the entire team to see what everyone else is doing. Charts and graphs can be highly effective in monitoring progress, but Merron finds that one-on-one communication is the common key to avoiding trouble. The project manager must meet with each team member on a consistent basis, to determine any anticipated roadblocks and support needed.

The single biggest success factor is making sure that all the team members have "bought in" to their responsibilities and the steps needed to complete their deliverables on time and budget. Closing Process Group Project closure is an important part of the overall project lifecycle. It brings things to the ended state in a formal approved way.

PMBOK defines the Closing Process Group as "Those processes performed to formally terminate all activities of a project or phase, and transfer the completed product to others or to close a cancelled project." It's an effective way to move the project into the normal business operations or review cancelled projects to glean information from them, the better to run future projects. Projects are cancelled for numerous reasons: a late start, budget cuts, an inadequate skill set, a plethora of project changes, and most often, unrealistic project objectives.

Elyse (2006) recommends that whether a project is successful or not, it is good to record the lessons learned from the project and inject the knowledge into other projects, current and future. The Closing Process Group coordinates project completion required to formally close or cancel a project and document the lessons learned. In accord with the PMBOK, the following key activities need to be executed in the closing process: Confirm that all requirements have been met.

Verify that all completion or exit criteria set in place during the planning process have been accomplished. Obtain formal sign-off of the product from the customer. Make final payments to vendors and complete cost records. Gather and document lessons learned. Add new skills acquired during the project to team members' personnel files. Perform procurement audits. Complete contract closure and administrative closure. Create and distribute the final report of project performance. Index and archive project records. Measure customer satisfaction. Hand off completed deliverables to operations and maintenance. Release resources.

Celebrate! (PMBOK, 2010) Project Retrospectives Stacey Ann Allen has contributed her observations, which are paraphrased here. A project retrospective is a disciplined look back at prior events in search of a way to help project managers improve their team's effectiveness. Although retrospectives are often lumped in with other closing activities, best practice argues that they are not most useful as one-time events at the end of projects.

The project manager should bring the team together at strategic points during the project cycle to determine what is working and what has to be fixed before moving on to the next phase. Allen recommends that there should be three goals of a retrospective: review the project from a number of different perspectives; capture and record details on what worked and what must be improved; and finally, create an action plan for implementing changes. (Allen, 2007) Case Studies Army Program Management in Afghanistan Three field-grade U.S.

military officers collaborated to produce a case study of their nation-building experiences in Afghanistan. (Ruhm, Marsh & Cooley, 2006) They argue persuasively that the use of program (project) management techniques have been helpful to the military leadership in the rebuilding of Afghanistan's infrastructure, institutions, government and Army. The starting point in managing any project is to establish the "baseline," which serves as the contract between the customer and the provider concerning cost, schedule, and performance.

The authors found that documenting the baseline was essential for making decisions, but also for communicating with external (including Congress) and internal audiences. The use of scheduling techniques was useful when dealing with numerous linked and interdependent subsystems. In particular, this project was organized to increase the effectiveness of the Afghan military personnel. In that regard, the managers made use of capability milestones.

"When will the Afghans stand up to the requirements of defending themselves?" Zuquala Steel Mill Wondimu Degnitu, head of Ethiopia's Project Engineering Unit, reported on the case of the construction of a steel rolling mill in Zuquala. The Ethiopians negotiated a deal to purchase an existing steel mill in South Africa. The terms included assistance from the South Africans in moving the plant, as well as their full participation in the reassembly and turnkey operations.

Degnitu dwells on the importance of detail planning of the project from gathering high level requirements down to sub-activities showing "duration, accomplishment and responsible person." (Degnitu, 2000) Common Attributes These two cases couldn't be more different in their goals and implementation aspects. However, there are several attributes that the projects share in common. 1) the need for a contract plan: the Army called it setting down a Baseline.