Chapter 16 Project completion and review

1. Chapter 16 Project completion and review • Introduction • Completion and handover • Reviews and learning • Justifying it • Summary Project management in practice: IT all goes pear- shaped at VCS

2. Introduction “We don’t carry out ‘lessons learned reviews’ at the end of projects now. We carry out ‘lessons identified reviews’. We know we don’t learn” Vital and powerful On-going learning Continuous improvement Reflective learning How the last phases of ‘check and act on the results of the checks’ are managed will determine the views of the stakeholders on the project outcomes and future project success

3. Introduction (Continued) Challenges An objective review process objective whilst including the rich picture Relating procedure performance to project performance Long-term programmes of improvement versus short term, usually financial, assessment Satisfying all stakeholder groups whilst looking to the next project

4. 16.1 Completion and handover • Work stops for many reasons • Successful completion • Sponsors’ needs change or they see poor performance • Lack of resources • Reviews should take place at successful completion and premature termination • But staff are dispersed without provision • But staff must be kept busy and so are posted to the next project • Results in ‘hedgehog syndrome’ (Chapter 2) • Mistakes are repeated • Poor improvement in the organisation • Frustration for individuals

5. 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued) • At completion • Completer-finishers (Chapter 11) are in their element • Other role types anxious to start next project • Proper completion requires discipline, investment of time and resource • Elements that require a project manager’s attention • Incentives to complete • Documentation of process is complete • Project systems are closed down • Review activities immediately • Appraisal and relocation of staff • Disposal of assets • Stakeholders are satisfied

6. 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued) Completion • Vital to • Finish all activities • Release resources • Minimise costs • Trade-offs: time and resources invested versus proper completion • If activities are abandoned, the benefits of the review are lost • If close-down processes are long and drawn out, nothing is ever finished, overheads remain and escalate • The approach often depends on the success of the project • Little incentive to complete if team members are contracted by time • A form of bonus is ideal • Free extensions to the main task must not be allowed • “While you are here will you...”

7. 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued) Documentation • The least exciting part of project Purpose • Evidence that the project has been completed in a proper manner • Guidance to the customer on operation and maintenance of product • Allows future work on similar projects to have a good starting point In addition • If documentation is left to the end of the project much may be lost • Include this activity as part of planning and the WBS • It should not be ‘squeezable’ or less important

8. 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued) Documents should include • Formal items • Correspondence, contracts, permissions, letters, memoranda • Communication documents • Individual notes/logbooks • Professionally vital in case of negligence enquiry • Keep for the life of the product or 7 years, whichever is longer • Need • Policy for electronic documents needed • Hard copy or consigned to data warehouse? • A guide of where any item is stored • Planning (vital) • Check lists (a visual tool and evidence)

9. 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued) Closing down the project systems • Activity level and spend should slow • Accounting and quality systems remain live • Late invoices/overhanging administration activities will need to be charged • Ensure that unauthorised spending is curtailed • A formal note of closure informs staff and support systems • In contract projects, legal closure happens with customer ‘sign off’ • Continuing to provide ‘free’ consultancy is tempting • Cannot afford to cut customer off completely • Cannot afford to provide services not charged • Poor handover or failure of documentation signal further work

10. 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued) Conducting immediate project reviews • Provide further control or corrective action • Immediate post-mortem on activities • Rapid feedback on individual performance • Individuals know what should be repeated • Managers can identify training needs • The organisation can assess for future teams’ work • Rapid feedback on systems • Identifies short-term needs: procedural changes, changes in skills • Provides a case history • The reviewer needs to know context and challenges • Could be the sponsor, the line manager, other project managers, project office staff or an external consultant

11. 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued) • Long-term audit and review • An audit of the project manager by the team is beneficial • Characteristics to assess (usually by questionnaire) • Attitude • Skills • Approachability • Openness • Ability to delegate authority yet share responsibility • Ability to represent the project team to others • Willingness to embrace change

12. Demonstrates that the PM is serious about improving the ‘management product’ Feedback reinforces good behaviour and provides a path for change where improvement is needed Key to identifying satisfaction and levels of motivation 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued)

13. 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued) Appraisal, relocation of staff and disposal of surplus assets • Appraisal • Vital part of nurturing human capital • Skill often assumed to be present but managers need training • Staff relocation • Project managers may have little direct influence • Supporting the team will enhance personal professional networks

14. Disposal of assets Surplus stock and hardware not absorbed represents waste Culture problems: Elimination from the accounts/site/view the sooner the better Paper work will cost more to raise than the sale of the property If valuable materials skipped, left to deteriorate, ‘appropriated’ revenue lost to project and organisation There are beneficial means of disposal (outsourcing) 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued)

15. 16.1 Completion and handover (Continued) Ensuring that all stakeholders are satisfied • Marketing influences consumer behaviour • Enhance the customers’ image of the project organisation by selling success • Data from project reviews • Utilise the concept of ‘product surround’ • or ‘an ounce of image is worth a pound of performance’ • Good publicity can have internal benefits • good performance will be recognised • Marketing professionals should be involved to maximise returns • The media may pick up on success from a press release • Getting stakeholder satisfaction in the project’s success may be a challenge

16. 16.2 Reviews and learning Structuring improvement activities • A PM with a clear improvement strategy will improve the performance of future projects (Figure 16.2) • Learning before doing • Ensure that necessary knowledge and skills are available in advance • Identify sources of ideas for change – this can take time • Using consultants and/or benchmarking (Chapter 17) are an aid

17. Learning by doing Elements can be learned from previous activities Reviewing information from previous projects is a good starting point Done consistently over a long period results in a highly developed process 16.2 Reviews and learning (Continued)

18. 16.2 Reviews and learning (Continued) Figure 16.1 Process improvement

19. 16.2 Reviews and learning (Continued) Learning before doing – the role of external knowledge • Training and education • Are there benefits from going on a project management training course? • Good time • Quality manual…. that gathers dust • But no one else in the organisation does it this way • Beneficial if an immediate application • Beneficial if there is a group of people who will work in the new method • Change requires a critical mass – over 80% of people working in a process must be capable and willing to change • Support can be provided by project office (Chapter 4)

20. 16.2 Reviews and learning (Continued) • Consultants provide specific services • Integrator: overall service as single point of customer contact • Honesty-broker: an external independent view more acceptable than that of colleagues • Change agent: the focus for change activities • Knowledge provider: expert in knowledge or techniques • Resource provider: where others do not have time/capability to do • Checker: checking the process • Trainer: imparts knowledge across the organisation

21. Employing consultants Decide on what must be achieved and how Evaluate suitable firms Membership of appropriate organisations/ talk to previous clients/evaluate capabilities Evaluate costs/benefits Financial cost but benefit long-term Someone impartial stating the obvious 16.2 Reviews and learning (Continued)

22. 16.2 Reviews and learning (Continued) Learning by doing – the role of audit and review • After completion when results become evident • ‘Praise for the unworthy followed by punishment for the innocent’? • Process that requires a reason to exist, time, information, resources, credibility • Goal is to ensure continuous improvement is followed through • The audit process • Establish actual procedures (financial, quality, environment) • Check documents to see if procedures were followed • Report suggesting deficiencies and irregularities • The review process • Study overall performance relative to constraints • Identify failed or inadequate procedures • Report suggesting improvements

23. 16.2 Reviews and learning (Continued) Table 16.1 Review and audit criteria

24. 16.2 Reviews and learning (Continued) Long-term review • On-going measurement of project outcomes • Poor quality of product may become apparent • Checks needed on assumptions of ‘whole-life costs’ • Individual reflections on experiences Carrying out reviews • Reviews may become finger-pointing exercises allocating blame • For constructive reviews • Focus on processes not individual • Use factual data • Allow rehearsal of alternatives • Avoid jumping to conclusions by using problem-solving techniques • Discourage glib classification

25. 16.3 Justifying it • Calculate financial implication of failure to provide business case for improvement • Break down quality costs (Table 16.2) into • Prevention • Appraisal • Failure • Internal (before customer receives product/service) • External (after customer receives it) • Costs usually higher than prevention and appraisal • Increasing prevention and appraisal generally makes for mid-term savings • although short-term costs will increase • BS 6143: Identification of quality costs, prevention, appraisal and failure models; pro forma for quality costs reports

26. 16.3 Justifying it (Continued) Table 16.2 Elements of quality cost

27. Summary • How will the project end? • Positive statement of closure • Capture knowledge gained through review and audit processes • Close out • Shut-down project systems • Ensure all activities completed • Prepare for reviews • Learning process • Learn before doing (identify appropriate knowledge) • Learn by doing (review and integrate knowledge) • Costs of failure • Start with quality costing exercise • Results may be surprising