How should I close my projects?

Project closing is an overlooked but important phase of project management. In nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations, closing often gets little attention as we rush off to the next project or back to all of the things on our full plates.

When approached intentionally, project closing can end your project on a high note and set your organization up for future success.

Project closing matters because it allows us to:

1. Release Resources: Formally closing a project releases team members, funding, and other resources for other work.

2. Celebrate Accomplishments: It’s a great time to recognize your team and stakeholders' hard work and support.

3. Transition Seamlessly: Closing sets the stage for smooth handoffs to operations or the users of your project’s deliverables.

4. Extract Lessons Learned: Project retrospectives during closing allow us to identify what went well and what didn’t, documenting and sharing lessons learned to improve future projects and collaborations.

Common activities during project closing include:

• Deliverables Presented

• Hand-off to Implementation Team

• Bills Paid or Vendors Released

• Final Reports or Progress Updates

• Team Released or Final Team Meeting

• Recognition and Celebrations of Success

• Retrospective of Debrief

Project closing isn't only about wrapping things up; it's about transition, recognition, and learning to move your organization forward.

Get our Project Retrospective Worksheet to help you gather lessons learned at project milestones or closing.

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