Completing Administrative Closure

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The end of each project phase and the end of the project need administrative closure. Administrative closure is the documenting of the project results and the acceptance of the product by the customer or the project sponsor. Administrative closure is also needed should a project be terminated. Administrative closure includes the following:

• Documentation of the project work

• Confirmation that the product is in alignment with requirements and specifications

• Analysis of project success or failure

• Analysis of the effectiveness of the project management process

• Lesson Learned documentation

Administrative closure should happen at the end of each phase and at the end of the project. If the project manager waits too long to complete administrative closure, important information can be lost. The resource pool description should also be updated to reflect any new skills learned by the project team members as part of the project.

Inside the Exam

Communication is the most important skill a project manager can have. Project managers spend 90 percent of their time communicating. Since the project manager is expected to spend so much time communicating, you can bet the project manager needs a plan to determine what needs to be communicated, to whom, and when. The Communications Management Plan is the comprehensive plan the project manager and the project team rely on for all communication guidance.

The organizational structure affects the level of communications the project manager can expect. Matrix structures have to include the functional managers of the project team from the different units within the organization, whereas a functional organization does not have the same level of complexity in reporting.

The basic communication model consists of a sender, a message, and a receiver. When technology is involved, the project can become more complex: encoders, the medium, and decoders are included. Consider sending a fax: you are the sender and Jane is the recipient, and the message is the information on the page to be faxed. The encoder is your outgoing fax machine, and Jane’s fax machine is the decoder. The telephone lines between the fax machines are the medium.

Management, customers, and other concerned stakeholders will be interested in the performance of the project. The project manager will need to meet their expectations on an established schedule or based on conditions within the project. One of the most common methods for showing performance is through earned value analysis.

Administrative closure happens at the end of each phase and at the end of the project. Administrative closure is the final documentation of the project; it includes the process of organizing, indexing, and archive all relevant project materials. The archived materials should show the project performance from start to formal acceptance that signals project closure.

Preparing for Administrative Closure

Any documentation used throughout the project phases that demonstrates project performance should be organized. The performance measurements set in the project plan should be included as part of these performance measurement documents. As the administrative closure happens, the project manager can refer to the original performance measurement goals and compare these to the experienced performance measurements. This comparison will reveal any variances and show overall project or phase performance.

In addition to the performance measurement documentation, the project manager will need all of the project plans, product specifications, technical documentation, drawings, and any other information relevant to the final product or the project or phase. These documents will allow the project manager, the customer, and the project sponsor to inspect the project product to confirm the deliverable of the phase is in alignment with what was planned for.

Armed with the project information, the project manager can document, confirm, and close the project or phase. The end result of the project or phase includes the following:

• Project archives The sum of the documentation of the project should be organized, structured, and indexed for fast and accurate reference. In addition, any databases containing project information should be updated to reflect the completion of the project. A failure to update the databases and project archives can mislead future projects attempting to emulate the current project.

• Procurement issues Any time a project includes procurement issues, the contracts, purchase orders, invoices, warranties, and any other financial-related documentation should be indexed and archived for future reference.

• Project closure The project sponsor or the customer should confirm that the project has met all of the requirements of the project scope. When the requirements have been met, the project manager may have additional activities, as required by the performing organization. The project manager may need to complete any financial records, to sign-off of the project deliverable, and to complete employee evaluations and a final project summary for management.

• Lessons Learned As the project moves through its phases, the project manager and the project team should be completing the Lesson Learned for future reference. At the end of the project closure, the Lesson Learned documentation should be archived as well—for future reference.

On the Job 

Administrative closure uses the same tools and techniques as performance reporting, but takes a view of the entire project or phase.

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