Project Closeout: Finalizing Logistics and Stakeholder Meeting - Essay Sample

introduction

Project closeout is the last stage of the project management lifespan (West, 2015 p.50). In the course of the project closeout phase, project deliverables are transitioned to the customers or the business owners. Before the project is closed officially, a stakeholder meeting is held by the project team. The various logistical requirements for closing down the field office include, perform closeout of the project, perform client closeout, perform organization closeout, conduct subcontractor closeout, and performing the final risk assessment.

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Perform Project Closeout

Performing the project closeout involves determining that all the project requirements have been satisfied. On many occasions, one or two project team members are assigned to perform the following duties (Shirley, 2015, p.942).

Document and validate all the tasks that are listed on the work break down structure have been accomplished and, if not, then state a valid reason.

Revision of the business case chatter definition to guarantee, and document that all the necessities on the document have been resolved and accomplished.

Reviewing the contract when there is any to ensure that all the prerequisites have successfully been met.

The team can also conduct the final evaluation of the project. The subtask should complete with a memo indicating the findings and conclusion. The memorandum must be concise and direct.

Perform Client Closeout

The reason for the client's closeout is to make sure that the client has accepted the project deliverable. Also, to measure the degree of customer satisfaction towards the end product of the project. To ensure that the client has accepted the project deliverables. The project team member has to interview the client to ascertain that all the deliverables have been received and accepted (Hussein, 2016 p.946). On customer satisfaction, all the main stakeholders can be involved in the survey to ascertain the satisfaction level.

Perform the Organizational Closeout

Organizational closeout of the project involves the conclusion of the use of the corporate assets and to make final determinations about the remaining resources. The project team will select a project team member and contact the following tasks.

The first thing to be done will be to write a memo to the management of the facility stating that the team will be moving from the premises on specific dates. The report on the entire work package and the memo will also be sent to the project manager.

All the rented equipment or be borrowed ones will also be released. The technical and the support team will write the memo or a letter to the rental company from which the equipment was rented. An inventory will also be included with the letter or the note being sent.

Harmonization of the financial records is the third subtask. The reconciliation of the project budget against all cash that is spent, the outstanding invoices, and the invoices that are expected, including the balance the is likely to remain after the invoices have been settled. All this process and records must be reconciling.

Finally, the preparation of appreciations memos to all the stakeholders and the functional managers. The memorandum should state the unique contribution of every member of the project.

Conducting of a Subcontractor Closeout

Subcontractor close out involves determining that the subcontractor has finished all the tasks in which they are responsible. Settle the total sum of cash to the subcontractors, which is done by the procurement office. Finally, for the firms that performed well, they are issued with a letter of appreciation. All these are combined and then sent to the project manager.

Execute Final Risk Assessment

The final risk assessment aid in the identification of the opportunities and risk that is directly facing the project at the end. The task will require a part of the project team to deal with the risk identification process. Checking the probability and the impact if it does occur, stratify risk, and lastly, developing strategies to mitigate. The risks to be investigated and deliberated include residual risk, improper operation, deliverables transferences, cash flow, training, maintenance, among many other risks. The task will be finalized by preparing a final risk statement that will be handed to the project manager for further examination and dissemination. The report will consist of a memo summarizing all the risks evaluated.

Writing of the Final Project Report

Final project report includes a summary of all the project activities. The purpose of the report to indicate to the top management that indeed, the project has reached completion. Also, it will serve as a means of presenting the final project status. The final report project will include the following topics.

Activities of Project Closeout

• Client closeout actions
• Administrative closeout activities
• Activities of subcontractor closeout
• Final risk statement
• Project team closeout activities
• The description closing statement

Team Closeout

Team closeout consists of five main tasks, which include.

Conducting the Lessoned Learned

The learned lessons are the pieces of experience collected during the project. The lessoned learned can be used to improve on the project performance on the projects to be undertaken in the future. Lesson learned could be an activity that the project team did and resulted in projecting success. Also, something that the project team did not do that led to the problem occurrences during the project period.

Draft Letters of Gratitude to the Project Team

It is the role of the project manager to write letters of appreciation to the team members who are performing highly. The team leaders can also submit a recommendation for the cash award. Other activities include drafting a letter of appreciation for functional managers, releasing of the project members, and finally, a closing project party for the team member according to the organization norms and regulations.

Some of the importance of logistical requirements for closing down the field office. Involves ensuring all the vital tasks in the previous phase has been completed. Helps the project manager and the project team obtain approval by the project stakeholder such as the project sponsors and the customers. It helps in reviewing if all the organizational governance has been executed, and finally, the conduction of the administrative closing of all the procurement in the specific stage.

Conclusion

The role of the project closeout phase involves concluding all the aspects of the project to the approval of the main stakeholders before the project team member starts exiting from the project team. The role of the project manager is to ensure all the facets of the project, such as appreciative letters, Perform the Organizational Closeout. Execute final risk assessment, conduct subcontractor closeout, among others, are correctly concluded.

Fahri, J., Biesenthal, C., Pollack, J., & Sankaran, S. (2015). Understanding megaproject success beyond the project close-out stage. Construction Economics and Building, 15(3), 48-58.

Hussein, B. A., Ahmad, S. B., & Zidane, Y. J. (2015). Problems associated with defining project success. Procedia Computer Science, 64, 940-947.

Shirley, D. (2016). Project management for healthcare. CRC Press.

West, D. (2017). Project Sponsorship: An essential guide for those sponsoring projects within their organizations. Routledge.