Chapter Five. Control and Closing


Just as the previous phases overlapped, so too do the Control and Closing phases. Several controlling actions are done throughout the project that are key to a successful closing, and two distinct areas are dealt with only in the Closing phase. Let's look at these from the standpoint of a professional project manager.

Everyone with whom I have talked describes some project they have been on where it seemed that the project never ended. Even if they were switched to another project, the initial project seemed to go on and on of its own volition. Almost everyone called this a part of their "project from hell." There are many reasons why projects don't end. Some projects can go on and on because of funding issues. In many companies, it is easier to get funds to do a project than it is to get operating funds. Even when the project is actually complete, it is sometimes easier to request ongoing funds even though the product of the project is completed. When the project has been done and the actions have become a part of the operating system, the project is over. It is not unusual for a group of people or a segment of a company to want to continue the process they have started, but in fact it doesn't help the company to continue to call an operating process a project.

How do you stop this? At the beginning of the project planning process, the project manager needs to work with all of the stakeholders to get agreement on what a complete project is. There must be a well defined deliverable that is the final output of the project. Failure to define project completion will cause the project to drag on and on. In one organization for which I consulted, several so-called "projects" had been running for years. In fact, the projects were part of the overall operating system and required some maintenance, but they weren't true projects.

By defining the final deliverable, you give strength to the Scope Statement as well as the initial Charter. Without this definition, you cannot ever run a successful project because there will be no closure, which is the sign of a troubled organization, or at least one that does not recognize the differences that make project management a specialized type of management.

Q.

You define the end of the project by defining the:

 

A.

Scope Statement

 

B.

Charter

 

C.

Final deliverable

 

D.

Schedule


The answer is C. Only with this will you have a project that will have closure.

Q.

The phase in which you define the final deliverable is:

 

A.

Planning

 

B.

Execution

 

C.

Closing

 

D.

Control


The answer is A. If you define your final deliverable any later than this, you may find that you have a moving target, and you are back in the "project from hell."

You should first get a clear definition of the final deliverable for the project and then put it on your wall. Often projects are changed by outside forces, and those forces actually change the final deliverable. Because you, as the project manager, are responsible for the execution of the project, keep your goal clearly in view at all times. Every now and then, it is a good idea to make sure that all the stakeholders agree on the final deliverable. It is surprising how many times projects get changed and people forget to change the final deliverable. It is the responsibility of the project manager to have complete accord on the final deliverable. Without that, deep yogurt looms.

The longer the project, the harder it is in some organizations to focus on the original final deliverable. This issue goes back to change control, and it is clearly within the function of the project manager to make sure that changes to anything in the project are recorded and agreed to by the stakeholders.

Q.

The person who has the responsibility for keeping the final deliverable clear to all stakeholders is the:

 

A.

Sponsor

 

B.

Technical lead

 

C.

Team member

 

D.

Project manager


The answer is D. Surprised?



Passing the PMP Exam. How to Take It and Pass It
Passing the PMP Exam: How to Take It and Pass It: How to Take It and Pass It
ISBN: 0131860070
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 167
Authors: Rudd McGary

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