Back to Basics, Part 9: Close

The project’s Closing Phase should be a time for celebration. We did it. We delivered value to our stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe and cost. Congratulations!

Often, Closing feels more like the end of a marathon. You are exhausted, and your body aches. You performed worse than you planned, and you question why you entered this race in the first place.

A luxury apartment building was built in Washington, DC, offering commanding views of the city. Hosting a Presidential Inauguration event was planned to anchor its grand opening ceremonies. Delays in final permitting foiled those plans and dashed what would have been an amazing celebration of the project.

The key to a successful Close is planning. Much of the groundwork occurs during the Planning and Execution phases. Proactively managing product quality and stakeholder engagement is critical. The Closing Phase includes three primary components: final review and acceptance, transition or deployment, and the administrative close. Then there is the optional, but recommended, step of recognition.

Active preparation for the Close should begin toward the end of execution. Build the detailed timeline and checklists. Monitor the process to confirm quality. Re-engage key stakeholders and review the transition plans.

This is the last article in the “Back to Basics” series, highlighting the project management practices that lead to better, more reliable outcomes. Prior articles described the operating framework, the processes for initiating, planning, and executing a project, as well as the ongoing work we do throughout our projects.

Final Review and Acceptance

Projects are expected to create value, delivered through products, services, and results. Products are tangible outputs with (ideally) clear specifications and acceptance criteria. Services, such as consulting, are often measured by the completion of well-defined deliverables or outcomes.

The Charter, which comes from the Initiation phase, defines the project’s “what,” “why,” and acceptance/exit criteria. The “what” outlines the delivery outcomes. The “why” defines the value proposition. The charter also identifies “who” will approve the final delivery.

In the Planning stage, expectations are crystallized. Predictive projects define requirements up front. Agile establishes high-level expectations at the beginning and defines detailed expectations for each iteration. Hybrid projects must also establish expectations; however, they may adopt more Predictive or Agile practices.

Quality planning is also an important component, and Predictive and Agile approaches handle it differently. A best practice is to build quality into every step. As Deming said, “You cannot inspect quality into a product.”

The Project Management Plan specifies who approves final project delivery and how approvals are obtained. Approvals may be obtained via an automated system, email, or a formal meeting. As part of Closing, any known gaps, issues, or unmet requirements should be documented and communicated.

Predictive Projects

Predictive projects that deliver tangible outcomes have a well-defined set of requirements and technical specifications. Successful service deliveries clearly outline expectations, outcomes, and artifacts. Establishing these expectations reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings and disappointments.

A traceability matrix is often used to track requirements through design, build, test, and acceptance. Although cumbersome to build and maintain, the matrix ensures a comprehensive accounting of deliverables. Walkthroughs and checklists are other options for reviewing deliverables and ensuring the work is complete and acceptable.

Incremental municipal code inspections are required for construction projects. The rule of thumb is that before it’s covered, it’s inspected. The final certificate of occupancy confirms that all quality checks have been met. Then there is an owner walkthrough with a final “punch list” to ensure it meets their expectations.

Agile Projects

Agile projects do not establish detailed requirements and scope upfront. High-level objectives and expectations are set at the start of the project. A charter or similar document should be created for Agile projects to outline the objectives and acceptance criteria.

On Scrum projects, needs and expectations are progressively refined through the product backlog, which contains a prioritized list of features and user stories. As features and stories move up the backlog, they should have clear, testable acceptance criteria. The Product Owner works closely with the Team to review completed stories and features, confirming that they meet the intended need and acceptance criteria. Stakeholder feedback is gathered during the Sprint Review.

The Team and Product Owner collaborate to define the Definition of Done, which serves as the quality checklist for each completed user story. This may include requirements for system, integration, security, and regression testing, etc. DevOps toolchains can automate many of these steps, streamlining the effort to build, test, and deploy high-quality code.

Kanban teams build quality into the workflow by defining ready (entrance) and done (exit) criteria for each step. While Kanban teams are not required to have a Product Owner, they should define who provides approval and when approval is required.

Deployment/Transition

While deploying or transitioning the project’s deliverables is a major milestone, it is not the end of the project. Implementing a new software system or turning over the new building marks the end of construction. However, the adoption of the new technology or the use of the new structure can be equally critical.

Large software projects and organizational change initiatives often fail to adequately plan for what happens next. Transition planning is often underappreciated yet is a critical component of project success. Planning for organizational change can improve adoption. Reorganizations, improvement initiatives, and the implementation of new enterprise software systems need to account for how people respond. Operational documentation, training, and proactive communications can help avoid potential issues.

Administrative Close

During the Administrative Close, logistics are finalized. Contracts are closed, invoices are paid, project finances are settled, and equipment is returned. The project team is disbanded.

Project managers and sponsors should plan for this phase. Ensure sufficient time and support to complete all required work. The project does not end with turnover or deployment. Some items may take several weeks or longer to complete. Financials may take a month or two to process before they are finalized in the accounting systems.

Continuous improvement practices—such as the Agile retrospective—help teams incrementally identify and implement changes throughout the project. Depending on the project and organization, a formal lessons-learned process may also be used to benefit future efforts. A less formal final reflection may help the team achieve closure.

Recognition

While not required, recognizing the team’s contribution can conclude the effort on a positive note and leave fond memories. People may have spent long hours and prioritized the project over other things. A kind word or small token of appreciation goes a long way. My home office is adorned with mementos from past projects.

Recognition can take many forms: Formal or informal gatherings. Personal thank you notes. Paper plate awards. For teams creating buildings or other structures, a private tour will allow them to share their pride with friends and family.

We want to avoid this satirical view of the project lifecycle from the 1970s. The last three phases of a project are: the search for the guilty, the punishment of the innocent, and the praise of the non-participants.

Closing brings both the project and this Back-to-Basics series to an end. Successful project management does not require unnecessarily complex processes, tools, and methodologies. It requires consistently applying fundamental practices, intentionally adapting them to the project’s context, and remaining focused on delivering value.

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