End project report

The end project report is a key document the project manager produces during the closing a project process. The project board uses it to evaluate the project’s success before authorizing formal closure. It serves as a final performance assessment and confirmation of project completion.

Purpose

The report provides the project board with an overview of the project’s performance, ensuring that all objectives have been met and that the delivered outputs align with the business case. It includes:

• Confirmation of deliverables: Ensures that all planned outputs have been delivered to the customer.
• Performance review: Highlights what went well, what challenges were faced, and lessons learned.
• Benefits review: Compares realized benefits against the expected benefits outlined in the business case.
• Project plan adherence: Evaluate how well the project followed the approved plan.
• Customer acceptance: Confirms that the customer or users have accepted all project products.

The end project report acts as a final accountability document, allowing the project board to decide on closure.

Source data

The end project report is derived from key project documentation that provides a comprehensive overview of project performance and outcomes. These sources include:

• Project initiation documentation (PID): Captures the project’s foundation, objectives, and governance framework.
• Business case: Provides the justification for the project, referencing both the initial and final stage assessments.
• Project plan: Details the planned approach, milestones, and final execution updates.
• Benefits management approach: Outlines how benefits were tracked, measured, and updated throughout the project lifecycle.
• Registers: Includes essential records such as the issue register, quality register, and risk register to provide insights into project challenges and mitigations.
• Lessons report: Created during the ‘closing a project’ process, summarizing key learnings for future projects.

These documents collectively ensure that the end project report provides an accurate reflection of the project’s journey, supporting informed decision-making by the project board.

Format

The end project report can be delivered in multiple formats, depending on project size, stakeholder preferences, and documentation requirements:

• Presentation: A summary is presented to the project board in a physical meeting or via a conference call, which is ideal for high-level discussions.
• Formal document: A detailed report in Word or PDF format, ensuring archival and structured review.
• Email summary: A brief, structured email for smaller projects requiring minimal documentation.
• Project management tool report: A digital report generated within a project management system, enabling real-time access and tracking.

Choosing the appropriate format ensures clear communication of project outcomes and supports informed decision-making.

Contents

The end project report contains the following information:

• Project manager’s summary: A concise assessment of project performance in the project manager’s own words.
• Business case review: A comparison of different versions, highlighting benefits realized, changes, and the return on investment (ROI).
• Evaluation of the six project objectives: Commentary on time, cost, quality, scope, benefits, and risk, assessing overall project success.
• Team performance analysis: A reflection on team efficiency, collaboration, and key contributions.
• Product status and quality: Details on product completion, quality assurance, tracking methods, and the handover process.
• Lessons learned: A summary of key insights that can benefit future projects.
• Issues and risks summary: An overview of major challenges encountered and risk management effectiveness.

Tips

The following tips help you have better end project reports:

• Consult the project board: ask the project board how they prefer to receive the end project report. Where possible, suggest presenting it to ensure key messages are understood.
• Keep it concise: aim for a minimalist approach, focusing only on essential information to avoid unnecessary complexity.
• Leverage existing data: Use project records, logs, and reports to compile the end project report efficiently rather than starting from scratch.
• Ensure engagement: Confirm whether the project board has reviewed the report. If necessary, summarize key points verbally to facilitate discussion.

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Written by Frank Turley.

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