12.1 Dr. Honghui Deng Associate Professor MIS Department UNLV MIS 746 IS Project Management

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Dr. Honghui DengDr. Honghui Deng

Associate ProfessorAssociate Professor

MIS DepartmentMIS Department

UNLVUNLV

MIS 746 IS Project Management

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One Business Day in the FutureOne Business Day in the Future

Video 12 Communication in the FutureVideo 12 Communication in the Future

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Session 12. Project closureSession 12. Project closure

• An information system project must be An information system project must be administratively closed once its product administratively closed once its product is successfully delivered to the is successfully delivered to the customer.customer.

• A failed project must also be A failed project must also be administratively closed.administratively closed.

• A deadlocked project (drastic change of A deadlocked project (drastic change of focus, support, personnel, executive focus, support, personnel, executive decision, etc.) must be administratively decision, etc.) must be administratively closed. closed.

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Session 12. Project closureSession 12. Project closure

• Three broad activities are carried Three broad activities are carried out at the closing stage of the out at the closing stage of the project:project:– Administrative closure of contracts

and accounts– Performance appraisal and individual

evaluation– Project audit

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12. Administrative closure12. Administrative closure

• Following activities must be Following activities must be address in the project closure plan:address in the project closure plan:– Identifying tasks necessary to close

the project– Assigning individuals to carry out

closure tasks– Monitoring implementation– Ending closure process

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• Important tasks:Important tasks:– Project accounts closure:

• Outside vendorsOutside vendors• PartnersPartners• Information system professionalsInformation system professionals• Temporary workersTemporary workers

– Outside vendors and professionals should be evaluated for: • ResponsivenessResponsiveness• ReliabilityReliability• Service qualityService quality• Adherence to contract termsAdherence to contract terms

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– Obtaining delivery acceptance from the customer• Stops scope creepStops scope creep• Confirms delivery date and the end of the projectConfirms delivery date and the end of the project

– Equipment and facility release• Avoids inaccurate accountingAvoids inaccurate accounting• Helps proper use of organizational resourcesHelps proper use of organizational resources

– Project personnel release • Sometimes, team members develop psychological Sometimes, team members develop psychological

link with the project and want to continue link with the project and want to continue indefinitely indefinitely

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– Acknowledgements and awards• Acknowledge and reward individuals, Acknowledge and reward individuals,

departments and centers that influenced the departments and centers that influenced the project successproject success• Organizing a social event is appropriate to Organizing a social event is appropriate to

hand out awards and announce the project hand out awards and announce the project closureclosure• Sometimes, organizations use such events to Sometimes, organizations use such events to

launch new services or systems that benefits launch new services or systems that benefits customers and employeescustomers and employees

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12. Assigning individuals12. Assigning individuals

• The project manager must assign The project manager must assign individuals to carry out administrative individuals to carry out administrative closure tasks. closure tasks.

• Key individuals are good candidates for Key individuals are good candidates for closure activitiesclosure activities

• Timelines should be established for Timelines should be established for different activities to help monitoring different activities to help monitoring and controland control

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12. Implementation12. Implementation

• The project manager must ensure The project manager must ensure implementation of closure activitiesimplementation of closure activities

– Assign individuals to monitor progress– Use time table to ensure progress – given

the fact that most information system projects are over budget and behind schedule, this phase helps timely closure of accounts, contracts, facilities, and the like that could be charged because of time lapses.

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12. Ending closure12. Ending closure

• Even closure must have an endingEven closure must have an ending– You don’t want to extend ‘scope creep’ into

the closure phase of the project development life cycle.

– The post-closure date could begin following the social event when the closure is formally announced and documented.

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12. Performance appraisal12. Performance appraisal

• Objectives: Objectives: – To evaluate contribution that individuals

make to the project success– To provide feedback to the individual

regarding career development

• Most organizations have Most organizations have established standards for established standards for performance appraisalperformance appraisal– Helps consistency

• Across individuals Across individuals

• Over timeOver time

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12. Performance appraisal12. Performance appraisal

• In appraising an individual considerIn appraising an individual consider– Innovation and creativity– Responsiveness– Team work– Customer relations– Learning and adaptability– Triple constraints (time, cost, focus)– Value added contribution to the project

• One-on-one conference with One-on-one conference with individual team membersindividual team members

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12. Project Audit12. Project Audit

• Project audit is done Project audit is done duringduring and and after after projects are complete. The projects are complete. The outcomeoutcome of of project audit is a report that suggests:project audit is a report that suggests:

1. Are we doing the right thing (at each milestone)? Did we do the right thing (for completed projects)?

2. Are we doing it right (at each milestone)? Did we do it right (for completed projects)?

3. The lessons learned? What adjustments are necessary?

• Lessons from successes? From Lessons from successes? From failures?failures?

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• Auditing a project is Auditing a project is notnot about: about:– Finger pointing– Who did what wrong?– Judging– Punishment

• Auditing a project is about:Auditing a project is about:– Project success issues – Prevention– Learning from mistakes– Continuous improvement

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• For an on-going project, audit helps to For an on-going project, audit helps to decide:decide:– Are we making adequate progress? Can performance

be improved?– Have organizational priorities changed affecting

project priorities? Is closure necessary now?– Are stakeholders and top management still

supportive of the project?– Is the project team functioning as expected?– Are there significant issues of internal, external,

morale, and the like that impact project outcome?

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• For a completed project, audit helps to For a completed project, audit helps to decide:decide:– Did the project meet customer satisfaction?– What are the lessons learned for future

projects?• Leadership lessons?Leadership lessons?• Team interaction lessons?Team interaction lessons?• Organizational lessons?Organizational lessons?• Top management support?Top management support?• External entities, vendors?External entities, vendors?

– Group performance measures

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12. Project c12. Project closurelosure checklist checklist

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Session 12. Discussion questionsSession 12. Discussion questions

• What are the main differences between What are the main differences between auditing a marketing project versus auditing a marketing project versus auditing an information system project? auditing an information system project? What are similarities? What are similarities?

• How would you justify cost, effort, and How would you justify cost, effort, and time spent on auditing an on-going time spent on auditing an on-going project? A completed project?project? A completed project?

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12. Discussion questions12. Discussion questions

• It is suggested that project audit creates It is suggested that project audit creates anxiety among team members and may anxiety among team members and may lead to internal politics among lead to internal politics among departments and in turn make the whole departments and in turn make the whole process dysfunctional. Describe benefits process dysfunctional. Describe benefits of project audit and suggest ways of of project audit and suggest ways of implementation that avoids these implementation that avoids these problems. problems.

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• Design a survey questionnaire for team Design a survey questionnaire for team performance measure. Include in this performance measure. Include in this survey:survey:

1. Who should respond to your survey,

2. The instruction for respondents,

3. A scale,

4. Six questions,

5. Describe your reasons for the way you designed your survey. For example, why you chose the scale that you did? Why the set of questions that you picked?

Hint - use the reverse of “input-process-output” Hint - use the reverse of “input-process-output” model for designing your survey. model for designing your survey.

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• Why is it difficult to perform a truly Why is it difficult to perform a truly independent, objective audit?independent, objective audit?

• What personal characteristics and skills What personal characteristics and skills would you look for in selecting a project would you look for in selecting a project audit leader?audit leader?

• Comment on the following statement: Comment on the following statement: “We cannot afford to terminate the “We cannot afford to terminate the project now. We have already spent project now. We have already spent more than 50% of the project budget.”more than 50% of the project budget.”

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• Performance review of team members is Performance review of team members is an important activity that if done an important activity that if done properly will improve member behavior properly will improve member behavior and be a base for reward and promotion. and be a base for reward and promotion. – What are important characteristics of an effective

performance review?– What would you include in your performance review

list?– What would you not include in your performance

review list?

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• ““It is difficult to be both a coach and a It is difficult to be both a coach and a judge.” Managers tend to be concerned judge.” Managers tend to be concerned with justifying their decision than with justifying their decision than engaging in a meaningful discussion on engaging in a meaningful discussion on how the employees can improve their how the employees can improve their performance. That is why many experts performance. That is why many experts on performance appraisal recommend on performance appraisal recommend that organizations separate performance that organizations separate performance reviews from pay reviews. reviews from pay reviews.

• What are the pros and cons of this What are the pros and cons of this approach? As a project manager, which approach? As a project manager, which approach would be more effective for approach would be more effective for you?you?

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• Consider performance evaluation from Consider performance evaluation from these two perspectives:these two perspectives:– You as an employee being evaluated. What

approach would be most beneficial to you? What you would not like? Like?

– You as a manager evaluating your employees? What approach would be most practical to you? Most beneficial? What you would not like? Like?

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• Comment on this statement: “You Comment on this statement: “You cannot manage what you cannot cannot manage what you cannot measure.” Is this statement true for measure.” Is this statement true for information system project information system project management? Why?management? Why?

Documents

12.1 Dr. Honghui Deng Associate Professor MIS Department UNLV MIS 746 IS Project Management