Project Management - Closing a Project | Compass / PRINCE2 / Summary

Closing a Project

The purpose of the Closing a Project process (CP) is to provide a definitive end point confirming acceptance of project products, recognise that objectives defined in the PID have been achieved, and prevent aimless continuation of operations.

Objectives

Objective
Confirm user acceptance of project products
Ensure the business can support the products after project closure
Review project performance against the baseline
Evaluate benefits already realised and update the Benefits Management Approach to include post-project benefit reviews
Ensure means to address unresolved issues and risks through Follow-on Action Recommendations
Ensure project closure is carried out in an orderly manner and the project has not simply been abandoned (in the case of premature closure)

Benefits of a Definitive Project End

Formally closing the project produces the following effects:

Recognition of success: All parties can recognise that objectives have been met
Transfer of responsibility: Ownership of project products is formally transferred to operations, and the project management team is released from responsibilities and can be disbanded
Cost cessation: Project costs can be stopped from that point forward
Learning opportunity: Unachieved goals can be identified and organised as challenges for future efforts

Key Implementation Points

Ensuring finitude: Essential to maintaining the project’s character as an activity with a beginning and an end
Handling premature closure: Provides a framework for orderly closure even when a project is cut short due to Business Case failure, etc.
Planned closure: Closure activities should be incorporated in advance as part of the final management stage plan
Follow-on Action Recommendations: Document specific actions to be taken after closure

Activities

Input	Activity	Output
Approaching project end (trigger), Project Log, PID, Business Case, Project Plan	Prepare Planned Closure	Project Log (updated), Project Plan (updated as needed), Benefits Management Approach (updated as needed), Lessons Report (created), End Project Report (created)
Same as above	Confirm Project Acceptance	Same as above
Same as above	Evaluate the Project	Same as above
Same as above	Request Project Closure	Same as above
Request for premature closure (trigger), Project Log, PID, Business Case, Project Plan	Prepare Premature Closure	Project Log (updated), Project Plan (updated as needed), Benefits Management Approach (updated as needed), Lessons Report (created), End Project Report (created)
Same as above	Confirm Project Acceptance	Same as above
Same as above	Evaluate the Project	Same as above
Same as above	Request Project Closure	Same as above

Activity Details

1. Prepare Planned Closure

Once it is confirmed that the project can be closed, prepare to issue a closure recommendation to the Project Board.

Recommended actions:

Use the Communication Management Approach to identify organisations and parties that need to be informed of project closure
Also consider communication activities for public relations and marketing opportunities
Close the Project Log
Ensure project information is stored securely (in accordance with the Digital and Data Management Approach)
Prepare a draft project closure notification for review by the Project Board

2. Prepare Premature Closure

In some situations the Project Board may instruct the Project Manager to end the project early.

In this case the Project Manager’s role is to:

Recover the value created in the project to date, rather than simply abandoning in-progress work
Show the business the losses caused by the project’s discontinuation

Recommended actions:

Update the Project Log (and Issue Report as needed) to record the request for premature closure
Update the Project Plan to reflect actuals in the final stage
Evaluate and classify product status from the following perspectives:
- Approved, in development, conditionally approved, not started
- Those requiring safeguarding (protective measures or data protection)
- Those that may be repurposed or reused by other projects
Agree on means for recovering completed and in-progress products (requires Project Board consultation)
Creation of an Exception Plan may be required (for additional work such as completing products useful to other projects or ensuring their safety)
Notify the business of the possibility that resources and personnel may be released early, and seek approval

3. Confirm Project Acceptance

Confirm the formal transfer of ownership of project products from the project management team to the operational and maintenance environment.

Forms of transfer:

Carried out as a single release at the end of the project
Depending on the project approach, may be split into multiple releases through phased delivery
In the case of premature closure: ownership of products that are approved but not yet delivered is transferred to users in accordance with Project Board guidance

Recommended actions:

Consult with the project management team and prepare Follow-on Action Recommendations regarding incomplete work, issues, and risks relating to project products
Individual Follow-on Action Recommendations may be created for each project product or component, or for specific user groups (HR, Finance, Operations, etc.)
Confirm that the Benefits Management Approach records post-project closure activities
Review the Project Initiation Documentation to confirm how products are to be provided to those who will manage them

Important: Post-project benefit reviews are not themselves project activities. What is included as a project activity is planning for such benefit reviews to take place.

4. Evaluate the Project

Successful organisations use learning from project experience.

Objective: Assess how successful the project was — or, in the case of premature closure, assess the project and the reasons for premature closure.

Recommended actions:

Review the original project intent as defined in the PID, baselined and agreed during the initiation stage
Review approved changes as defined in the latest versions of PID components
Consult with the project management team and prepare the End Project Report
Review the Project Log, identify lessons applicable to future projects, and document them in the Project Lessons Report

5. Request Project Closure

The Project Manager contacts the Project Board to request project closure.

Recommended actions:

Brief the Project Board on project performance and confirm readiness to close
Highlight any areas of conditional approval for off-specifications
Request the Project Board to authorise project closure
Suggest to the Project Board celebrating the project’s success and expressing gratitude to all involved parties

Responsibilities

Activity	Business Layer	Project Executive	Senior User	Senior Supplier	Project Manager
Prepare Planned Closure	—	A	C	C	R
Prepare Premature Closure	—	A	C	C	R
Confirm Project Acceptance	—	A	C	C	R
Evaluate the Project	—	A	C	C	R
Request Project Closure	I	A	C	C	R

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

Applying Practices to the Process

Practice	Application to Closing a Project
Business Case	Update with actuals (cost, benefits) and revise unrealised benefit projections. Review and update the Benefits Management Approach
Organising	Evaluate team performance and wellbeing and record as lessons. Confirm requirements of various management approaches; disband the project management team and complete offboarding
Plans	Compare and analyse plans against actuals; analyse overall project performance
Quality	Confirm in the Quality Register that all quality activities up to the final stage have been completed. Close the Quality Register
Risk	Organise final stage risks; transfer unresolved residual risks to the business. Close the Risk Register
Issues	Organise unresolved issues; identify Follow-on Action Recommendations for the business to take over. Close the Issue Register
Progress	Confirm delivery of all products via the Product Register and close the register. Issue the End Project Report. Close the Daily Log and Lessons Log