4.7 Close Project or Phase
Formally end the project or phase and hand off what it produced.
Closing / Integration · ← PMBOK reference · See it on the map
Why it matters
Work that is merely abandoned leaves loose ends: unreleased resources, unpaid invoices, and no clear record that the sponsor accepted the result.
What done looks like
Final deliverables are accepted, contracts are closed, and resources are released.
First time tip
Book the closeout meeting before the team disperses. A closeout that has to be reconstructed after everyone has moved on rarely gets done well.
What you need (Inputs)
- Project Charter
- Project Management Plan
- Accepted Deliverables
How Scrum/Kanban projects satisfy this — counted from: reviewed sprints with completed points (driftless/models/delivery.py:Sprint) for an agile project, or the department's service levels (driftless/models/operations.py:ServiceLevel) for an operations-cadence one — an agile team accepts an increment at the sprint review, so a reviewed sprint that completed points is accepted work; an operations-cadence project accepts finished work against the department's own service levels - Business Case
- Agreements
- Procurement Documentation
- Organizational Process Assets
How you do it (Tools & Techniques)
What you get (Outputs)
- Final Report
- Final Product Service Result
- Lessons Learned Register
How Scrum/Kanban projects satisfy this — counted from: sprint retrospective evidence (driftless/models/delivery.py:Sprint) — a sprint closed with retrospective notes is a lesson captured, the way a predictive project files one as prose
Worked example
With the shelving installed and the reading room repainted, the director walks the space, signs off that the renovation matches what was promised, pays the contractor's final invoice, and releases the volunteers who helped move furniture.
Common pitfalls
- Letting the team scatter before final acceptance and invoices are settled.
- Skipping a written sign-off, so a later dispute has nothing to point to.
- Never releasing resources or closing contracts, leaving the project technically open.
How driftless helps
- Meetings can be run here.
- Lessons Learned Register can be created in the wizard.