HKSM
Close Project or Phase
The formal process of completing and wrapping up all work and administrative tasks for a project, a phase, or a contract.
Key Points
- Confirms and records acceptance of deliverables and that objectives have been met.
- Finalizes procurements by settling claims and formally closing contracts.
- Transfers outputs to operations or the customer and releases project resources.
- Archives records, captures lessons learned, and communicates formal closure to stakeholders.
Example
After delivering a new CRM system and receiving customer sign-off, the project manager closes the vendor support contract, hands the system over to the operations team, archives all project documents, updates the lessons learned repository, releases team members, and issues a closure report to stakeholders.
PMP Example Question
A project has met all requirements, deliverables are accepted, and the final vendor invoice is paid. What should the project manager do next?
- Perform Direct and Manage Project Work
- Validate Scope
- Close Project or Phase
- Control Procurements
Correct Answer: C — Close Project or Phase
Explanation: With deliverables accepted and payments complete, the appropriate next step is to perform administrative closure: archive records, capture lessons learned, release resources, and formally close the project or phase.
