While often overlooked, the project close out step is one of the key learning experiences and process improvement activities that can be performed during a projects life cycle. By actively closing out a project, you are actively evaluating the success and missteps of a project, as well as ensuring stakeholders are happy and an appropriate archive has been completed.
Listed below are four key areas of focus for your next project closeout:
1. Project Sponsor Acceptance
Meet with the project sponsor (the customer) to discuss closure around the defined acceptance criteria for your project.
2. Conduct Project Assessment
Performance assessment should be conducted with project stakeholders, including team members. This step can be as easy as asking two key questions – What went well, and what could have gone better.
3. Complete Project History/Archive
A main part of managing a project involves managing the files that go along with it – which can become overwhelming if you wait until the end of a project to begin creating your project history. Consider setting this up at the beginning of your project, that way this step becomes more of a final check to ensure its completion.
4. Celebrate Success
Celebrating success is a key part of the change management process that helps all stakeholders involved move forward with the post project state. It’s also an important factor in making future projects go well.
To read the entire article, please visit www.business2community.com