Closing

Project or Phase Closeout

Project closeout involves documenting the final project performance as compared to the project objec- tives. The objectives from the project charter are reviewed and evidence of meeting them is documented. If an objective was not met, or if there is a variance, that is documented as well. In addition, information from the procurement closeout is documented. Information documented includes:

Project or phase description
Project or phase objectives
Completion criteria
How met
Cost and schedule variances
Benefits management
Business needs
Summary of risks and issues

Use the information from your project to determine the best approach.

Tailoring Tips

Consider the following tips to help tailor the project or phase closeout to meet your needs:

When working with an incremental life cycle or agile development method, the delivery of a major end item, service, or capability may benefit from a formal phase closeout report.
For projects that are part of a program you should tailor the content to meet the needs of the program.

Alignment

The project or phase closeout should be aligned and consistent with the following documents:

Project management plan (all components)
Product acceptance
Lessons learned summary

The project closeout form supports process 4.7 Close Project or Phase in the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition.

Document element	Description
Project description	Provide a summary level description of the project.
Performance summary	Scope	Describe the scope objectives needed to achieve the planned benefits of the project.
		Document the specific and measurable criteria needed to complete the scope objectives.
		Provide evidence that the completion criteria were met.
	Quality	Describe the quality objectives and criteria needed to achieve the planned benefits of the project.
		Document the specific and measurable criteria needed to meet the product and project quality objectives.
		Enter the verification and validation information from the product acceptance form.
Variances	Document the time and cost objectives and the final completion date and final expenditures. Explain any variances.
Benefits management	Describe how the final product, service, or result achieved the benefits the project was undertaken to address.
Business needs	Describe how the final product, service, or result achieved the business needs identified in the business plan.
Risks and issues	Summarize any significant risks or issues, or the overall risk exposure, and describe the response and resolution strategies.