CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA

(CHUR)

MODULE TITLE : FUNDAMENTALS OF

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Module Code : MGT 2301
Semester : 3 Credits: 15

Lecturer: UMI Pascal

1
Chapter Nine: Closing the project
Closing the project or phase is the process of finalizing all
project, phase or contract activities. The main advantages
of this process are the information on the project or phase
is archived, the planned work is completed and the
resources of the organizational team are freed up to pursue
new efforts.
The project closure phase is the last phase in the project
lifecycle, and it officially puts an end to the project. The
entire project management closure process requires
meetings and communication with your team and
stakeholders, a handful of project documents, and analysis
skills. When the project closure phase is completed
properly, your project documents will be finalized, your
clients and stakeholders will have any final reports that
they require, and your team will have had the chance to
reflect upon and adjust their processes.
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Types of Project Closure
Project closure activities are generally broken into two main
categories, contractual and administrative.
1. Contractual closure brings to completion just what you
might expect: contracts, purchase orders, third-party
agreements, and the like. Most external activities will fit in
this category.
2. Administrative closure brings to completion all internal
aspects of the project. This includes:
 A Turning over the Deliverable.
 A Creating Team Member Performance Documentation.
 Gathering and Archiving Project Records in a Project Information
and Document Repository.
 Releasing the Project Team.
 Closing All Reports, Including Financials.
 Forwarding Regulatory Reports to the Appropriate Agencies
 Thanking Your Stakeholders.
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 Creating a project information
and documentation repository
Project managers should create a central repository for all
project information and documents. In the past, we used
accordion files to chart a project’s path as it matured and
the volume of information and documents increased.
The important point here is to use the information
technology that your organization provides to create a
central repository. You can set this up on your PC, laptop,
tablet, or even your smartphone (depending on propriety
of the data). Create your repository, feed it regularly, and
remember to have redundant backup, both technological
and team based. Your system can crash, and your team
members may leave. You do not want to lose your project
history.
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 Steps for Project Closure
1. Go Over Every Plan/Timeline: Go over every
plan/timeline to make sure there was nothing you forgot.
2. Write A Wrap Up Note To Your Team: Write a wrap-up note
to your team to let them know that the project launch was
successful.
3. Close The Project With Your Client: Wrap up the client
portion of your project to ensure they know the project has
ended (and therefore, scope has been completed) and to
congratulate them on their new launch.
4. Plan A Project Retrospective Every Time: A retrospective
is not meant to only showcase how to fix things that went
wrong, although that tends to be the focus (especially on a
tough project). It’s also meant to show what went right, and
how to replicate that over other projects.

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5. Ask The Client For Feedback Too
Not all clients are open to this, and not all companies are willing to let
you ask, but if you have a good relationship and know it won’t cause
problems, ask about what went well and what didn’t go well.
6. Consider A Personalized Acknowledgment To Your Teammates
Think about doing something special for your team after a project,
even if it’s just bringing in their favorite treats or organizing a part.
7. Make sure you follow any project closure procedure that your
company or agency requires
In some teams, project closure requires some accounting updates, or
possibly documentation requirements that apply in some verticals.
Take A Really Deep Breath
Take a really deep breath, and if you can, a nice break from work for a
bit to congratulate yourself on a job well done, and to clear your mind
for your next launch.
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