We have a requirement that a standard format closeout report is completed that summarises what was achieved and the following checkpoints must be answered.

• Who is responsible for tracking the benefits?
• Is the sponsor satisified that the objectives have been met?
• Has the customer accepted the deliverables?
• Has the project expenditure been finalised and have variances against budget been explained?
• Has the intellectual property from the project been managed?
• Are all the project documents filed correctly?
• Has all the project equipment been returned or reallocated?
• Have the project stakeholders been told that the project has finished?
• Have project staff been given a performance appraisal?
• What reccommendations do you have to improve the processes?

When all this is done the project team should celebrate the end of the project!

This may sound like a lot of work but the aim is to ensure that everybody involved knows that the project is finished.