Summary
Closing a project involves several key steps to ensure a smooth transition and proper documentation. First, the project manager must confirm that all project goals, specifications, and deliverables have been met as agreed upon in the project charter. This is typically done through a project completion sign-off sheet, which is signed by the project sponsor and customer. Next, the project manager finalizes payments to all vendors and releases project team members from their duties. Additionally, a lessons learned meeting is conducted to review what went well and what could be improved for future projects. Finally, all project documentation is archived, and the project is officially closed.
Before You Start
Closing a project encompasses a number of steps, each important to ensuring you have met the required goals, specifications, and deliverables for the customer and sponsor, conducted a Lessons Learned meeting, paid all vendors, and other important tasks.
If you have been communicating regularly with your Sponsor and Customer, then steps on the checklist should not come as a surprise and you will be prepared to tackle those steps.
Steps
- Consult the Project Completion Checklist-- see below-- on or just before you start the last deliverable to give yourself ample reminder and planning time to schedule the closing tasks.
- Schedule each completion task. All steps are important, especially the Lessons Learned meeting.
- Be sure to have the Customer and Sponsor sign a project completion document, officially acknowledging that they acknowledge and accept that all required goals, specifications, and deliverables have been met and received. See a sample document, below.
Additional Resources
There are a number of helpful resources and advice available online, like those listed here. Whether you use the Completion Checklist included in this article, make adaptations to it, or another guide, the important goal is to ensure you appropriately bring your project to an official close.