Project Management

Bringing Your Project to a Successful Conclusion 235

Developing a Project Completion Checklist

The punch list focuses directly on delivery of the main project
deliverables. However, you must also be concerned with many
other functions involved in project closure. These may include
many often overlooked aspects of project delivery as well as the
completion of organizational items. To preclude things “falling
through the cracks,” I’d suggest that you develop a Project
Completion Checklist.

How to Transfer What You’ve Learned to Others

One of the ways you can support the ongoing improvement of
your organization’s project execution methods comes in the form
of lessons learned studies. The purpose of a lessons learned
study is to obtain information through the systematic review of
project experiences. Understanding the nature of positive and
negative experiences allows future projects to avoid unfavorable
influences (problems), and exploit favorable opportunities.
You should include input from all key stakeholders in your
study, with you and the project team typically taking a leading
role in organizing and carrying out the study. The format and
structure of your lessons learned sessions (i.e., the logistics)
can vary, but it is often done in a team meeting context, using
an approach similar to brainstorming.

Final

Deliverables

Punch List

Activities

Punch List Schedule Punch List

RAM

What’s

Understood

Develop a list of
final deliverables.

Develop a list of

activities required

to produce the

deliverables.

Develop a

schedule for

the activities

Publish a list of

responsibilities.

Ensure that

relevant proce-

dures are clearly

understood

Figure 12-1. Punch list project management

T

E

A

M

F

L

Y

Team-Fly®