Tasleemat Forms Guide

Project Artifact: Project or Phase Closeout

Document Reference: PMO-07.03

This document provides a comprehensive, professional reference to understand the purpose and effective usage of the Project or Phase Closeout in alignment with the Tasleemat framework.

1. What?

A formal Tasleemat-aligned project document known as the Project or Phase Closeout, used to document the final project performance as compared to the project objectives. The objectives from the project charter are reviewed and evidence of meeting them is documented. Where an objective was not met, or where there is a variance, that is documented as well, together with the information from the procurement closeout.

The Performance Summary is a matrix: Scope and Quality as rows, against Objectives, Completion Criteria, and How Met as columns. The Variances section is a second matrix: Time and Cost as rows, against Objectives, Final Outcome, Variance, and Comments.

2. Why?

To give the organization a durable record of what the project delivered and what it cost to deliver it, so that decisions about future work rest on evidence rather than recollection, and so that nothing open at closure is silently lost.

3. When?

This artifact is prepared at the CLOSING Process Group of the project lifecycle. It supports process 4.7 Close Project or Phase, and is produced at the close of a phase for long projects, and at the close of the project for shorter ones.

4. Who?

Responsibilities: Compiled by the Project Manager, signed off by the Project Sponsor or Client and the Operations or Service Owner who receives the product, and archived with the project records.

Tailoring Tips

When working with an incremental life cycle or agile development method, the delivery of a major end item, service, or capability may benefit from a formal phase closeout report.
For projects that are part of a program, tailor the content to meet the needs of the program.
Add a row to the Performance Summary or the Variances matrix per additional area or measure the project tracks.
Use the information from your project to determine the best approach.

Alignment & Dependencies

1. Pre-requisites & Inputs (Upstream Dependencies)

Mandatory:
- Product Acceptance Form (PMO-06.08)
- User Acceptance Testing Signoff (PMO-06.10)
- Contract Closeout Report (PMO-07.02)
Optional / Contextual:
- Lessons Learned Register (PMO-05.07)
- Issue Log (PMO-05.01)
- Risk Register (PMO-04.08.02)

2. Downstream Dependents

Mandatory:
- Knowledge Transfer and Asset Archival Signoff (PMO-07.06), Administrative and Resource Release Form (PMO-07.07)
- Value Realization Register (PMO-01.03)
- Organizational Process Assets Update (External)
Optional / Contextual:
- Post-Implementation Review Report (PMO-07.05)
- Transition to Operations Checklist (PMO-07.04)

5. How?

To accurately and professionally complete the PROJECT OR PHASE CLOSEOUT, the responsible party must populate the following sections based on the project context (ensure parameters.md is referenced for global project variables):

Project Description / Description: Provide a summary-level description of the project or phase: what it was, its purpose, and its boundaries. Keep it to a summary, and point to the project charter for detail.
Benefits Management / How Benefits Were Achieved: Describe how the final product, service, or result achieved the benefits the project was undertaken to address. Identify the benefit and the evidence that it was realised, distinguishing a benefit that was realised from one that is still only expected.
Benefits Management / Benefits Realisation Status: The current realisation status of each benefit, and who owns tracking it after the project team has been released. A benefit with no owner at closure is a benefit that will not be measured.
Business Needs / How Business Needs Were Met: Describe how the final product, service, or result achieved the business needs identified in the business plan.
Business Needs / Needs Not Met: Any business need that was not met, and what happens next now that the project is closed. A need left unstated here will be assumed met by whoever inherits the product.
Performance Summary / Scope / Objectives: Describe the scope objectives needed to achieve the planned benefits of the project.
Performance Summary / Scope / Completion Criteria: Document the specific and measurable criteria needed to complete the scope objectives. State each one so that it can be answered met or not met, and cross-reference the scope baseline.
Performance Summary / Scope / How Met: Provide the evidence that the completion criteria were met. Give the source of the evidence, such as the document, test result, or acceptance record, and not only the conclusion drawn from it.
Performance Summary / Quality / Objectives: Describe the quality objectives and criteria needed to achieve the planned benefits of the project.
Performance Summary / Quality / Completion Criteria: Document the specific and measurable criteria needed to meet the product and project quality objectives.
Performance Summary / Quality / How Met: Enter the verification and validation information from the product acceptance form. Cross-reference that form rather than restating it, so the two records cannot drift apart.
Variances / Time / Objectives: The planned time objectives: the approved schedule baseline duration and the planned completion date.
Variances / Time / Final Outcome: The actual completion date and the actual duration.
Variances / Time / Variance: The difference between planned and actual, in days or weeks, with the reason. Where the project finished early, say so and explain why, because an unexplained favourable variance hides a planning error just as a delay does.
Variances / Time / Comments: Any consequence of the time variance for the organization, such as a missed market window, and anything still open at closure.
Variances / Cost / Objectives: The approved cost baseline, or the total budget at completion if no baseline applies.
Variances / Cost / Final Outcome: The actual total spent at completion, stating whether it includes contingency drawn or reserve released.
Variances / Cost / Variance: The difference between planned and actual, in currency and as a percentage, with the reason.
Variances / Cost / Comments: Any consequence of the cost variance for the organization, such as a claim or a budget transfer still required, and anything still open.
Risks and Issues / Risk or Issue: The risk or issue, and where it came from. Give the reference from the risk or issue register rather than restating it.
Risks and Issues / Response and Resolution: What was done about it and how effective that was. Say plainly whether it worked.
Risks and Issues / Comments: What remains open, and who owns it after closure. An unresolved item transferred without a named recipient has not been transferred.
Procurement Closeout / Contracts Closed: The contracts closed out, with the final value and the closure date of each. Where procurement was not used, state that plainly rather than leaving the section blank.
Procurement Closeout / Obligations Discharged: The obligations, warranties, and service levels met, transferred, or still outstanding, with the holder named for each.
Procurement Closeout / Claims and Disputes Settled: Any claim or dispute settled before closure, and any that was not. An unresolved claim is a liability the project is handing on.

📥 Associated Templates

6. Reference Example

A fully completed, gold-standard reference example illustrating this artifact in practice is available:

📖 Completed Example: 07_03_Project_or_Phase_Closeout_Example.md