Chapter 19: Closing a Project

Overview

Many projects are never really completed; they just fizzle out and fade away. You are probably familiar with the excitement that goes into launching many new projects. Depending on the size of the organization and the environment in which you work, you may be involved in projects that are announced with great fanfare. Even a project that is announced behind the closed doors of your supervisor’s office generally starts out with a certain momentum.

The single most effective trait of a successful project manager is the ability to close a project with the same level of enthusiasm as when it is started. Closing a project can be the easiest and the hardest part of project management—it involves a rigorous evaluation and review of the decisions, processes, and effort that went into making a project a success or doomed it to failure. It’s not always pleasant, but it is always educational. In this chapter, we’ll look at how Microsoft Project can help you and your organization get the most from closing a project.

• Conducting a project review

• Evaluating the project

• Communicating project results

• Preparing for the future