Section 12.1. Introduction

12.1. Introduction

Before you pop the champagne cork and begin your celebration dance, you have a few more details to attend to. In this chapter, we'll look at project close-out activities. While you might think these are "throw away" activities that are optional, they're really not. Through properly closing out the project, you ensure users are satisfied and that the deployment, maintenance, and support activities are set up or in place. You also complete project documentation including updating final stats, and calculating total schedule, effort (hours expended), cost, and other project metrics. You wind down project activities and announce closure. Finally, you provide feedback to your team and an opportunity to wind down the team on a positive note.

While you might be exhausted by this time in your project, reserve just a bit more energy for properly closing out the project. Two things about project closure are absolutely true. It's a thousand times easier to do it now than in a month when your boss hounds you incessantly for the data and you can get your project team to help you close up shop so you can all go celebrate together.

As with previous chapters, let's look at the IT project management process overview and where we currently stand. This is shown in Figure 12.1 and indicates we're in the last phase of the project management process. This is important to keep in mind because close out is part of the IT PM process, not an annoying add-on.

Figure 12-1. IT Project Management Process Overview

Since we won't be introducing any new terms in this chapter, let's look at the inputs, actions, and outputs from this final phase of IT project management, shown in Figure 12.2

Figure 12-2. Inputs, Actions, and Outputs for Project Close-Out Step

1. INPUT The inputs to this phase are the final project deliverables and the most current project plan. The project deliverables must be deemed fit to deliver to the user/client/customer, so they are necessary inputs to the close-out stage, though there are additional activities we'll undertake in this phase related to project deliverables. The project plan should be a living, breathing document and it should be kept relatively up to date throughout the project work cycle. The current project data is an input and during this phase, we'll finalize that data.

2. ACTION The actions in this close-out phase are related to updating project data and documentation, making sure that deliverables are formally accepted and that the ongoing operations or support processes are in place. Lessons learned are captured and reviewed before performing final team activities.

3. OUTPUTS The outputs from this cycle are the various documents needed to update and close out the project including lessons learned, client acceptance documents, updated project data, and updated project documentation, among others.

4. PROJECT TERMINATION This marks the formal completion and end of your IT project.