Project Closeout Best Practices
As project managers, we tend to keep our eyes focused on the finish line. For us, it is all about on-time completion. Once the deliverables have been handed over to our project sponsor or client, we relax -- the project is over. But is it really?
Project closeout always presents challenges: from getting final approvals, to performing administrative and contract closure, to capturing lessons learned, and more. At the rapid pace of business today, efficient project closure is a must and may even give you a competitive edge. This course introduces project managers to the best practices for getting final signoffs and closing out projects. Project managers will come away with a structured closeout framework and some templates that can be used to complete an orderly project closeout.
By the end of this course, participants will gain the practical skills to:
- Use a structured approach to get final sign-off and closing out a project;
- Describe the barriers to project closeout including both scope and lifecycle barriers;
- Describe how to overcome closeout activities including financial, administrative, and legal closure (and more!); and
- Use lessons learned to drive continuous improvement.
This course is also sometimes called "Getting to Done: Project Closeout Best Practices."
Project Closeout Best Practices will be offered once in 2026. Participants will receive a course workbook with copies of all presentation slides, case study materials, forms, and a closeout checklist.
Introduction and definitions
Start With The End In Mind
- The Business Case
- The Project Charter
- Scope Definition and Management Plan
- Quality Management Plan
- Stakeholder Management Plan
Getting Final Approvals
- Group Activity
- Requesting Final Approval
- Deliverable Acceptance Form
Scope Barriers
- Business Value
- Compliance With Scope
- Customer Satisfaction
- Quality Issues
- Punch List Template
- Case Study: New House Construction Project
Lifecycle Barriers
- Operational
- Support Systems
- Training and Documentation
- Customer Satisfaction
Post-Approval Closure Activities
- Accounting Closure
- Settle Contracts
Contract Closure Activities
- Project Financial Summary Template
- Legal Closure
Administrative Closure Activities
- Redeploy Resources
- Financial Closure
- Provide Feedback
Lessons Learned Closure Activities
- After Action Review
- The 5 Why's
- Case Study: Arbor Industries
- Case Study: Root Cause Analysis
- Project Completion Template
Marketing Closure Activities
Project Lifestyle Closure Activities
- Project closeout checklist
This course is intended for beginner and intermediate project managers across all industries.
This course has no prerequisite.
The following table provides the breakdown of the professional development units (PDUs) for this course aligned with the PMI Talent Triangle(TM).
| WoW | PS | BA | |
| PMP | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| PgMP | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| PfMP | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| PMI-ACP | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| PMI-SP | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| PMI-RMP | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| PMI-PBA | 0 | 0 | 1 |
The three columns in the above table are Ways of Working, Power Skills & Business Acumen.
Learners may withdraw up to one week before the course start date with no penalty. Withdrawals made less than one week before the start date are eligible for a 50% refund, and learners may transfer to another PM Program course offering at no additional fee within two years. Once a course has begun, no refunds are available.
Program and Course Related Questions
You can find answers to your questions related to your chosen course or program by contacting the Instructor listed within the course or program details page.