Introduction

Everything in this life has to come to end, that the closure
process is the final stage in the project life cycle, it’s the time to gather
our efforts result, that we have to carefully dealing with that stage in order
collect the maximum benefits from our paid efforts during the project deferent
stages, that we have to make our project achievements visible and usable for
others in order to get their full satisfaction four our product.

Project
closing reasons.

There are too many reasons lead to project closure but all of
these reasons can be categorized under to main topics, the first one is closing
the project that achieved its deliverables and meets the project objectives, the
other one is early closing the project due to too many reasons like – but not
limited – the follows:

üThe project is under
shortage of resources.The project was depending on band funding
supplied as per scheduled cash flow, and the bank has stopped supplying
regarding to his own reasons, that the project has stopped. (Same like many
construction projects in Dubai after the economy crisis of 2009).

üThe project has stopped
because no clear results lead to achieve its required product. The
project did not prove any results as per planned in the project planning process
which make indication that the project is going nowhere. (Same like research
projects).

üThe project has stopped
because the market conditions have changed. By 2001 I was working as
section engineer in housing project in Egypt the contract signed cost was
120,000,000.00 EGP (about 40,000,000.00 USD) after performance reached
approximately 20 %, the local government has decided to float the local currency
which caused a big deferent in resources prices, (reinforcement steel has been
raised in price from 1,200.00 EGP/Ton to 4,500.00 EGP/Ton in one day) that the
project has stopped and not finished tell date.

Closing
project procedure.

Closing project procedure is depending on the closing reason
that closing the project which achieved its objectives is different that the
project that early closing, they will follow the procedure steps but different
documents, “there are number of closure activities common to most technical
projects, but the specifics very a great deal with the type of project”
(Kendrick, T2009, P293)

Project achieved objects closing procedure.

1-Client formal acceptance letter has been received “the client
decides when the project is done” (Wysocki, 2012, P 313).

2-Scope report and confirmation that all project scope activities
has been completely occurred regarding to product acceptance criteria, and
stated regarding to organizations assets and forms.

3-Submitting all manuals, shop drawings, scope report, and all
product submissions.

4-Client’s official approval on scope report with his
recommendations for retention release as per contract conditions “Closing out
a construction project is now taking on importance because many loans may go
through a period of forbearance prior to foreclosure or receipt of the
deed-in-lieu” (De Stefanis, C 2009).

5-Close-out all contracts and documents with suppliers, vendors,
and subcontractors regarding to each contract conditions.

6-Archiving all project documents and discussing the lessons
learned.

7-Releasing the project resources.

Project early closing procedure.

1-Client formal stop working letter issuance.

2-Stopping all activities and perform a final status report
confirming the performed percentage for all not finished project activities,
that according to that required report the client will evaluate the cost has to
be paid to all contractors, vendors, suppliers,…..etc.

3-Client’s official approval on project’s not finished activities
status report up to specified closing date, that it will be debatable point
in-between the project stakeholders for evaluating the work done up to closing
date which in most cases lead to arbitration deferent that the objective
received project that it is easily to prove that status which specified in
project statement acceptance criteria.

4-Close-out all contracts and documents with suppliers, vendors,
and subcontractors regarding to each contract conditions this point will not be
easily also that some supplying orders has been made and its underperforming
which is not delivered yet will be a conflict point with the supplier.

5-Archiving all project documents, write down and discussing the
lessons learned “The lessons learned are documented and entered into project
knowledge database to allow for keyword searches and easy retrieval by future
project teams.” (Bolles, D 2002, P139).

6-Releasing the project resources.

Regards.

Mustafa

Reference.

1.Kendrick, T 2009, ‘Chapter 12:
Closing Projects’, Identifying & Managing Project Risk: Essential Tools
for Failure-Proofing Your Project pp. 292-300 n.p.: American Management
Association International Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 10
April 2013. Persistent link to this record (Permalink):http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=36588155&site=eds-live&scope=site

2.Robert K. Wysocki, 2012, ‘Effective
project management. Traditional, Agile, Extreme’ sixth edition, Copyright 2012
by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana. Published simultaneously
in Canada. Wiley publishing.

3.de Stefanis, C 2009, ‘Closing Out
Construction Projects’, Real Estate Finance & Investment, p. 16,
Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 10 April 2013. Persistent
link to this record (Permalink):http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=48291275&site=eds-live&scope=site

4.Bolles, D 2002, ‘CHAPTER 13: Project
Closing’, Building Project-Management Centers of Excellence pp. 139-145
n.p.: American Management Association International Business Source Complete,
EBSCOhost, viewed 10 April 2013. Persistent link to this record
(Permalink):http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=32683993&site=eds-live&scope=site