Thinking of just moving on once a project is “done”? Think again! A comprehensive Project Closure Report isn’t just bureaucracy – it’s your key to documenting success, learning from challenges, and setting future projects up for even greater triumphs.
In this video, we’ll walk you through every critical component of a robust Project Closure Report, ensuring you wrap up every project effectively and extract maximum value for your organization.
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Project Closure Report
Your project closure report is not the same as a project closure memo, which formally records the completion of your project. Rather, its purpose is to record the project and its outcomes.
So, what should you put into your Project Closure Report?
As with all project documentation, the answer is always [different angle] ‘it depends’.
In particular, it depends on the needs and style of your organization, and the format of a project closure report will often be specified by your organization or its PMO. But, if you have a template to work with (and you don’t have my Project Management Templates Kit), here is a list of things to consider putting into your project closure report.
Introduction
- 1.1. Document Purpose
- 1.2. Executive Summary
Project Summary
- 2.1. Description of Issue or Opportunity
- 2.2. Summary of approach
- 2.3. Timescale Summary
- 2.4. Financial Statement
Outcomes
- 3.1. Summary of outcomes delivered
- 3.2. Summary of predicted benefits
- 3.3. Monitoring actions/measures
- 3.4. Assessment of Project Performance
Actual vs planned baseline, for:- 3.4.1. Schedule
- 3.4.2. Budget
- 3.4.3. Delivery/Specifications
- 3.4.4. Benefits
- 3.5. Transition to Operational Status
Lessons Learnt for Future Projects
This might be separated out into a stand-alone Lessons Learned Report
- 4.1. Approach
- 4.2. Project Management
- 4.3. Risk Management
- 4.4. Governance
- 4.5. Technical
- 4.6. Resourcing
- 4.7. Stakeholder Engagement
- 4.8. Team Leadership
- 4.9. Other
Recommendations
- 5.1. Recommendations
- 5.2. Next steps
Approval
of the Project Closure Report
- 6.1. Project Board Approval
- 6.2. Head of Service Approval
Version Control
- 7.1. Change History
- 7.2. File Location
Recommended Articles and Videos to Help with Project Closure
Carefully curated video recommendations for you:
- Project Closure: How to Miss Nothing when You Shut-down Your Project
- Project Management Fundamentals: Close Your Project
- How to Get Your Next Lessons Learned Meeting Right
- Lessons Learned Meeting: How to make it Excellent | Video
- How to Build a Lessons Learned Log: Step-by-Step
What Kit does a Project Manager Need?
I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own.
Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs
Note that the links are affiliated.
Learn Still More
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For more of our videos in themed collections, join our Free Academy of Project Management.
