Lesson 9: Project Closure

A project can be said to be terminated when works on the substance of the project have ceased or slowed to the point that further progress is no longer possible. The four different ways to close a project will be listed below:

1. Extinction

The project has been successful and achieved its goals or it has stopped because it is unsuccessful or has been superseded.

2. Addition

The project is a major success to a point that it is terminated by institutionalizing it as a formal part of the parent organization. Personnel, property, and equipment are transferred from the dying project to the newly born division.

3. Integration

The property, equipment, material, personnel, and functions of the project are distributed among the existing elements of the parent organization being these existing departments or other projects. This is by far the most common method used for project closures and one of the most complex at the same time.

4. Starvation

Decrease the budget for the project to the point of starvation. This method may be used when the project hasn't accomplished its goals and the organization wants to avoid the political cost of admitting failure.

Steps for Project Termination

1. The decision of whether to terminate or not

2. If the decision is to terminate then this decision must be carried out. The termination can be planned in an orderly way or with a simple hatchet job

Duties of the termination Manager

- Ensure completion of work

- Notify the client of project completion and ensure that delivery is accomplished.

- Ensure that documentation is complete including a terminal evaluation in preparation for the final report.

- Clear final billings and oversee the preparation of the final invoices sent to the client.

Redistribute personnel. materials and resources to other places.

- Clear project with legal counsel

- Determine what records to keep

- Ascertain any product support requirements

- Oversee the closing of the project's books

The Final Report

This is a chronicle of the life and times of the project and a compendium of what went right and what went wrong.

What subjects should be addressed in it?

- Project performance

- Administrative Performance

- Organisational structure

- Project and administrative teams

- Techniques of Project Management

It is important that the report also shows what areas worked very well and what areas can be improved for future projects.