Close Project or Phase

00:01 In this module, we're going to look at the close project or phase process from the PMBOK guide. The exam importance is very important because we need to stress that all projects must be closed under all conditions, no exceptions to that.

00:19 The difficulty is rated at Medium because once again, this may not be as you currently operate, so it may be slightly different from the way you currently run your projects. Memorization is low because it's not, not a lot of new concepts that you'll be introduced to here.

00:36 So the closed project or phase process is part of the project integration management knowledge area.

00:43 And it's the only closing process in this knowledge area.

00:47 In fact, it's one of only two closing processes in the whole of the PMBOK guide.

00:52 The other closing process is closed procurements from the procurement management knowledge area. And the domain tasks that this process will help you understand a closing task, one which says obtain final acceptance of the project deliverables from relevant stakeholders in order to confirm that project scope and deliverables were achieved. Closing task to transfer the ownership of deliverables to the assigned stakeholders in accordance with the Project Plan in order to facilitate project closure.

01:29 Closing Task three obtained financial, legal and administrative closure using generally accepted practices and policies in order to communicate formal project closure and ensure transfer of liability. Closing task for prepare and share the final project report, according to the Communications Management Plan. In order to document and convey project performance and assist in project evaluation, closing task five collate lessons learned that were documented throughout the project and conduct a comprehensive project review in order to update the organization's knowledge base. Closing Task six archive, the project documents and materials using generally accepted practices in order to comply with statutory requirements and for potential use in future projects and audits.

02:30 Closing Task seven Obtain feedback from relevant stakeholders using appropriate tools and techniques and based on the stakeholder management plan in order to evaluate their satisfaction.

02:45 The key themes of the closed project or phase process are that it includes all of the processes and work to close the project or phase, and we'll stress that you can close the project at the end of the project lifecycle, or you can close a phase before it moves on to the next phase.

03:05 Even though it's called the closing one, it's not just down at the end of the project or phase, but begins with Planning work and the creation of things like a closing checklist. Another key theme is that it must be done on all projects regardless, regardless of conditions of closure.

03:22 It doesn't matter if the project is closed under abnormal conditions, you must always go through some form of project closure to prove that it was closed.

03:33 And here's a tip for you always include your project, closure work and your project scope statement.

03:40 That way, you can allocate people time and cost to it.

03:44 One of the problems that we have today in the profession of project management is that by the time we get to doing project closure activities, we're being asked to move on to other projects already and little regard is given to project closure.

03:57 Simply by putting that closure, work into your project scope statement, making sure then appears in your work breakdown structure with people time and cost allocated to it will increase the chances that you will actually complete project closure.

04:11 As per PMBOK guide, the inputs into the closed project or phase process that may be useful to us are our Project Management Plan and all of its subsidiary plans and baselines, because each of them provides guidance to us on how we will close that part of the project, but also how we will close the project or phase in its entirety.

04:33 The other useful input to us will be the accepted deliverables.

04:39 Now, the accepted deliverables are an output from the validate scope process, and these have been presented to the client for acceptance and they have been accepted. The final input that may be of use to us are relevant and useful organizational process assets, things like our project management methodology and the templates and the blank project closure checklists we may have.

05:04 The accepted deliverables are one of the most important parts of the closure process.

05:09 And as I've already said, they are an output from the validate scope process, which is part of the Project Scope Management Knowledge Area.

05:18 They've already been through our internal process to control quality process where we're verified them for correctness.

05:26 We then present them to the customer and the validate scope process, and they have been accepted by the expected customer or stakeholder.

05:33 And they are a necessary and important part of project or phase closure.

05:38 We can't expect to complete project or phase closure fully without accepted deliverables.

05:45 The tools and techniques that may be useful to us and closing a project or a phase are expert judgment, once again, you are an expert.

05:54 Your project team members who completed the work are experts, the project sponsor, the client. These are all relevant experts you may wish to consult in order to get their opinion and their assistance in closing the project or phase.

06:09 Analytical techniques, things like trend analysis, things like regression analysis, what did you notice about the project, what could be done better? What could what did you not do so well at all meetings, specifically the regular meetings that you have with your team, the meetings you have with your client, and specific closure meetings where you tick off and make sure all the closure work is done.

06:35 The outputs from the closed project or phase process include the final product service or result transition.

06:44 And this is where you take that final project product service or result and you hand it over to somebody else.

06:51 It could be for the client to go and use as they see fit.

06:54 It could be handing over to an operations department, a maintenance department or some other department as well.

07:00 So as part of your project closure activities, you'll need to consider how this process occurs.

07:06 Other outputs that you may choose are organizational process asset updates. These are updating things like your lessons learned and historical information. And maybe with the benefit of hindsight, you can make continuous improvement adjustments to all of these processes as well.

07:26 So with product closure, you should make sure it starts at the planning stages, so during Planning work, you should develop a closure checklist. So you know what, work has to be done? One of my favorite things to do here is to have an exhaustive closure checklist and indicate on the things that are mandatory and the things that are optional and at the beginning of each project, go through the optional list and decide the things that you will do. Closure also includes all financial closeout activities to make sure that you've paid all the amounts you owe and you've also collected all amounts owed to you.

08:05 So therefore, it's always done after contractual or procurement closure, but as you need all of those contracts to be closed, so you've paid all the monies that are owed out to people.

08:16 One of the other important aspects about project closure is the Post implementation review. And if appropriate, you should include and schedule a post implementation review for the project or phase.

08:29 That'll give you time to reflect on what went well and what didn't go so well, whether or not the deliverables are delivering the expected benefits and whether there are any improvements that could be made.

08:39 Remember in the project justification and selection processes where you assumed all those benefits would be delivered.

08:46 This is where you take a look and see if they were.

08:50 Remember, though, an order to conduct a post implementation review, you will need to allocate people time and money in your project scope statement and that will get included in your work breakdown structure.

09:02 Lessons learned.

09:04 Now, in the exam, it's going to assume that you have access to lessons learned collected from previous projects.

09:12 Now, at the end of the project during project closure, that's when you collate the lessons learned and gather the final lessons learned.

09:19 But lessons learned are done throughout the entire project.

09:22 So the exam will assume that first, you have access to lessons learned from previous projects and that during your project you collect lessons learned as well. And during project closure, you document them and store them in a place where people can find them easily.

09:39 So keep this in mind that lessons learned are considered to be an extremely important and valuable part of successful project management.

09:50 Benefits realisation.

09:52 One of the problems with assessing whether the benefits have been realized on the project is sometimes the time period between when you deliver the final deliverable and the benefits start being generated can be many years.

10:04 But if appropriate, you should always include a formal benefits realization process at an appropriate time at the end of your project to see whether those benefits were delivered.

10:15 Now, if they weren't, that's not a bad thing, because it means you can always improve your future project justification and selection methods with the information on how inaccurate your benefits estimation were.

10:29 So remember that even if the benefits weren't delivered, it still provides valuable information for improving your project initiation processes in the future.

10:39 The final act and closing any project is to formally release all remaining project team members that may still be working on your project and make sure you do this in a very positive way.

10:51 Have a celebration of party, a going away morning tea, whatever it is, the way you treat these people will indicate whether you can get them back in the future easily. So in summary, the closed project or phase process is the process that completes all of the work to formally close a project or phase of a project.

11:14 Remember that all projects, regardless of how they end, must be closed and a little exam tip here.

11:22 If a question in the exam presents a scenario where your manager comes in and tells you, you must end a project immediately.

11:30 And ask you, what should you do? The correct answer is always enter project closure.

11:36 Now it may be a very, very short form of product closure, but you still have to formally prove the project was closed.

11:43 And remember that project closure begins with Planning work, with the development of the closure checklists that outline the work that defines what project closure means on your particular project.

11:57 So that was the closed project or phase process from the PMBOK guide. Thank you very much.