Actions Required for a Successful Project Closing
Closing the project is the process of reviewing all the documentation and agreements for the project to ensure that they are complete and that all the commitments have been met. Closing the project also includes reviewing the project to identify lessons learned and the intellectual capital that should be documented for others' use.
The following figure is from the WWPMM work pattern, C3: Manage end of project, in the Closing work pattern group.
The purpose of closing a project is to ensure that each of the following items has been completed:
As a project manger, you must start thinking about closing the project when it starts. If you do not anticipate closing the project, you will have difficulty actually doing so. Therefore, on day one of your project, begin establishing an awareness of, a process for, and a commitment to a successful project closing among all the parties involved in the project.
For assistance with the project closing process, see the WWPMM work pattern, Manage end of project. This work pattern can be found, along with descriptions and templates for all WWPMM work products, at the WWPMM Web site.