PRINCE2 Foundation Certification Notes 18: Closing a Project Process
Important: The new PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner exams (PRINCE2® 2017) are available from 10 July 2017 (details of the changes here). Don’t worry, the changes are quite minor indeed as all the 7 principles, themes and processes remain the same. From now on until the end of 2017, candidates can take either the existing or updated English versions of the PRINCE2® exam. All PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner exams will be based on PRINCE2® 2017 from 1 January 2018. You can still seize the time to get certified based on the current version! Once you get PRINCE2® certified, your certification is still valid under PRINCE2® 2017 and onwards!
Introduction: In PRINCE2®, there are 7 Processes that provide guidance on every stage of the project from initiation to completion. The “Closing a Project Process” is the process for checking whether the Project has achieved all the agreed objectives with all products accepted and the Project can be considered closed by the Project Board.
Article Highlights
Closing a Project (CP) Process
Purpose and Objectives of Closing a Project Process
- Purpose:
- check that all objectives are fulfilled and products accepted
- ownership of the products be transferred to the end user/customer
- Objectives:
- verifies the acceptance of project products by users
- reviews the project performance against the original project plan (baselines)
- assesses the realization of stated benefits against planning
- ensures the project products will be supported after handover
Input(s), Activities and Output(s) of Closing a Project Process
- Input(s):
- Project Initiation Documentation (PID)
- Stage Plan
- Risk, Quality and Issue Registers
- Lessons Log
- Benefits Review Plan
- Product Status Account
- Activities:
- prepares planned closure by confirming product completion and acceptance
- hands over products to the customer
- prepare the End Project Report by comparing the project objectives and actual results
- recommend to the Project Board for project closure
- Or (in case of premature termination of project ordered by Project Board), prepares premature closure
- Output(s):
- Lessons Report — from the Lessons Log
- Follow-on Action Recommendations — for future support use, from Issue Log
- Updated Configuration Item Records
- Updated Benefits Review Plan
- End Project Report — from Project Plan, Business Case and Project Initiation Documentation
- Closure Recommendation Request to the Project Board
Roles and Responsibilities for Closing a Project Process
- Project Board: confirms closure of Project
- Project Manager: creates the Management Products of the process (End Project Report, Lessons Report and Benefits Review Plan)
- Project Support: assists Project Manager
Conclusion:
“Closing a Project (CP) Process” is the process for the Project Manager to confirm completion and acceptance of project products and assess the performance of the project against the Plan. Lessons Learned are also recorded for reference by future projects.
Wish you PRINCE2® Foundation Exam success!
