The Closure process group is often forgotten about. But this is an important time to ensure that you capture and document lessons learned, handle disposal and recycling of materials, close contracts and de-allocate resources.
Conduct Lessons Learned
Lessons learned activities are best conducted when the lessons are fresh on the minds of the team. Additionally, this might be the last opportunity to get the entire team together before they are disbanded. The lessons learned should be documented for future projects and phases.
Properly Dispose and Recycle Materials
More and more, organizations are trying to reduce their footprint and become more green. This means reducing waste, which includes planning to recycle or reuse hardware and materials that can be recycled or reused. Often there can be a cost associated with this. Haul away and proper disposal costs can sometimes be a significant portion of the cost of a project (e.g., nuclear waste, bio-hazardous materials, etc.)
Close Contracts
Contracts and agreements must be closed. Incentivized contracts often contain bonus, etc., that must be calculated and closed per the terms of the contract. Agreements with other organizations and divisions must be canceled.
De-allocate Resources
Resources need to go be re-assigned to new projects or initiatives. In well-run organizations, this activity begins months prior to the end of the project to ensure that you are making full use of resources and reducing resource bench-time.
