Stage 4: Reviewing and closing the project
Page updated: 02/06/2026
One of the main features of a project is that it is finite; it has an end date. If a project loses this it becomes operational or business as usual activity.
The end of a project occurs when delivery of the project outputs / objectives have been realised or the Project is closed early at the instruction of the Project Sponsor or Project Board. At the end of a project you need to tie up any procedural lose ends, review the experience and capture accomplishments and lessons learnt. This doesn’t need to be a time consuming stage, but is none the less important.
By the end of this stage the project should be complete and handed over for an operational phase (if appropriate). The Project Board will have confirmed that the project has come to an end and the project will have been reviewed to capture the benefits, lessons and other relevant experiences.
Refer back to the current Project Business Plan; has the project met its aims and objectives? If not, why not?
Project risks and issues may continue beyond the delivery of the project outputs. Review any outstanding Risks and Issues and either close them off or allocate them to an appropriate individual for onward monitoring.
The achievements of a project need to be captured by the project team. Achievements are not limited to meeting project output targets and producing deliverables, achievements are the benefits and impact of the project, think about the difference the project has made. It is important that successes are recognised and shared with stakeholders.
Lessons Learned should have been captured by the project team throughout the development and delivery of the project. To be of benefit, these lessons need to be shared with others and should be recorded in the post completion review document (see below), and copied to the Closure Form.
The project files should have been maintained throughout the development and delivery stages, these files need to be closed off and stored appropriately to meet funder/ audit and regulatory requirements.
This is particularly relevant when a project is moving into an operational stage and needs to be transferred to the relevant department or division to manage. Information regarding the project, operational/ procedural instructions and any ongoing issues/ risks need to be transferred to the operating team or service area.
If a project is closed before all benefits / outcomes have been realised, an individual needs to be identified who will take responsibility for following up future outcomes and benefits. This is particularly important when a project has received external funding that will be monitored by the funding body.
The Project Board needs to formally agree the closure of the project.
The Post Completion Review takes place after the benefits of the project have been realised, this may be some time after the completion of the project, but should not be forgotten. It is an opportunity to assess the achievement of benefits (expected and unexpected), problems that may have occurred and the end user reaction to the outcome of the project. It is also the opportunity to make recommendations for future development.
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