Overview

This is the last responsibility of the Project Board. It completes the PRINCE2 motto that projects should have a controlled start, middle and end. It is invoked by the management products of CP Closing a Project and involves:

• Deciding how the products will be maintained beyond the end of the project
• Collecting Lessons Learned
• Release of resources using during the project
• Establishing a Post Project Review Plan and
• Project Closure Notification.

Remember to check that Follow-on Action Recommendations have been addressed and any outstanding project issues are settled. If the Lessons Learned Report reveals lessons that could benefit other parts of the company it is the Project Board's responsibility to pass these on to. If the project is part of a Programme it is the Programme Management's responsibility to approve project closure.

Method links

Tips

• Be sure to give recognition to those who have achieved project success
• Try to get in writing a formal acknowledgement of the sign off form maintaining the products beyond the project.

Notes

• Actioned once either the last stage is completed
• Ensures a clean, orderly closure to a project
• Ensure an organised hand-over to the Customer
• Establish a method for evaluating the product
• Publish and distribute plans for the Post Project Review
• Ensure there is Customer approval
• Hand-over configuration management to ensure on-going control
• Project Closure Notification
• Often this process is resulted from CS2 Assessing Progress or CS3 Capturing Project Issues and leads to a End Project Report and Post Project Review.

Case studies and examples

• GP-GP Record Transfer Project Initiation Document (UK NHS).

Related links

• Search our forum for 'DP5 Confirming Project Closure'
• Take our DP - Directing a Project - Quiz
• CS3 Capturing Project Issues
• End Project Report
• Post Project Review.