How to Write a Complete Project Closeout Report

So much time and effort is put into the planning of a project, it is often forgotten that the end of a project—project closure—is equally important. There’s a lot of work involved even once a project is technically complete.

For example, there are many tasks that you still must complete. They might be procedural, but that doesn’t make them any less important. There are approvals, signatures, payments, all of which might seem like pushing paperwork to you, but tell that to the team member waiting to get paid.

Not to mention, when you are ending one project, you’re likely planning another. Therefore, you want to get transition support for this changeover. You’ll have to release resources, archive documents and don’t forget to acknowledge the project success with a party or some type of celebration. That’s important, too.

Wrapping up a project and closing it out formally is a critical last step. As a project manager, one of your key responsibilities is to create a detailed closeout report that documents the completed project for future reference.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll go over what a project closeout report is, why it’s important, and provide a step-by-step process to write a complete closeout report.

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to create a professional project closeout report that summarizes key details for stakeholders and lessons learned for project teams. Let’s get started!

What is a Project Closeout Report?

A project closeout report is a document created toward the end of a project to formally wrap up and close the project. It provides a single place to capture key details to evaluate the project and leverage lessons learned for future initiatives.

The report documents what the project delivered, metrics on objectives met, resources utilized, issues faced, best practices to repeat, and more. It serves as an invaluable knowledge base that organizations can refer back to.

Records the project for future reference
Evaluates project success based on objectives
Identifies areas for improvement
Captures details that can inform future projects
Provides closure for the project team and stakeholders

Why Create a Closeout Report?

Here are some key reasons why a closeout report is critical for every project:

Preserve Institutional Knowledge – Well-documented reports preserve organizational knowledge from your project that can be leveraged for other initiatives.

Assess Success – The report allows you to measure and demonstrate the project’s success based on business objectives.

Capture Lessons Learned – Key lessons can be recorded to refine processes and avoid pitfalls in the future.

Provide Closure – A good closeout gives closure to the project team who can take pride in their work.

Meet Compliance Requirements – Formal reports may be required to meet internal audit or regulatory compliance needs.

Aid Decision Making – The report equips leadership with details to make decisions about future undertakings.

Drive Improvement – Analysing the report helps identify opportunities to improve processes, resources, tools and more.

How to Write a Great Project Closeout Report

Now let’s go step-by-step through the process of actually writing a stellar project closeout report.

1. Gather Project Details

First, collate all relevant project information you’ll need to create the closeout report:

Project charter and scope documents
Change requests and approvals
Milestone reports and meeting notes
Project schedule and work plans
Budget and cost data
Risks and issues logs
Assets produced and deliverables
Communication and feedback from stakeholders
Team member contributions and metrics
Any other relevant documentation

Gathering these details upfront ensures your report accurately captures all aspects of the project.

2. Start with the Project Overview

The first section of your report should provide a high-level overview of the project. Include key details like:

Project title and description – Brief summary of project goals.
Time duration – Start and end dates, overall duration.
Location – Where project was executed if multiple sites.
Team members – Names and roles of core team and stakeholders.
Sponsors – Internal or external partners who funded the project.
Objectives – List the business goals tied to the project.

This sets the overall context for readers who may not be familiar with the project specifics.

3. Describe Project Results

The next section forms the bulk of the report – describing what was actually accomplished and produced by the project team.

Some elements to cover here:

Deliverables – Detail all assets, products, or services delivered by the project.
Milestones – List key project phases, timeline, and milestones reached.
Scope – Discuss how well the final product matched the defined scope.
Success metrics – Evaluate and quantify objectives met based on success criteria.
Budget – Analyze final costs and budget utilization.
Issues faced – Discuss major roadblocks or deviations from the plan.
Team member contributions – Recognize outstanding performances from your team.

Essentially, this section demonstrates what the project delivered and analyzes how well it achieved its original goals.

4. Document Lessons Learned

A critical part of the report is lessons learned during the project – what worked well that should be repeated and what can be improved in the future.

Reflect on:

Processes – Issues faced in design, development, testing, communications etc.
Technology – Challenges with tools, systems, or technical execution.
Resources – Gaps in team, budget, equipment that caused problems.
Scheduling – How the timeline and deadlines could be better managed.
Communications – Effectiveness of information sharing among team and stakeholders.
Risks – How anticipating and responding to risks can improve.
Vendors – Any contractor management issues faced.
Best practices – Key things that worked well and should become standards.

Be honest and thorough in documenting areas that need improvement. This will help executors of future projects avoid the same mistakes.

5. Make Recommendations

Based on the lessons learned, provide specific recommendations on what can be done better for similar projects down the line.

Some examples:

Improve requirement gathering practices for more accurate scope definition
Adopt more agile development practices to handle changing needs
Develop standardized design templates to speed up process
Create a central risks register to facilitate risk management
Procure equipment earlier to avoid project delays
Set up regular coordination meetings to identify issues quickly

The recommendations should be actionable and focus on the most impactful lessons from the project.

6. Express Appreciation

This is a nice way to end the report – recognize your team members and thank stakeholders who made valuable contributions to the project.

Thank the project team for their efforts and highlight outstanding performers.
Acknowledge support from leadership sponsors and partners.
Appreciate the cooperation of end customers and users.
Recognize vendors who went above and beyond contractual terms.

Publicly thanking contributors is a great way to build engagement and motivation for future projects.

Wrap up the report with a conclusion reiterating the major outcomes and lessons learned from the project.

Also draft a 1-2 page executive summary that succinctly recaps the project for management and sponsors. Include:

Brief project overview
Key deliverables and results
Evaluation of success
Major lessons
High-level recommendations

The executive summary enables quick digestion of project details by senior leadership.

Best Practices for Closeout Reports

Keep these tips in mind as you write closeout reports for a polished, professional document:

Start early – Don’t leave report creation to the last minute. Start documenting lessons learned during project execution.
Review project documents – Thoroughly go through all project artifacts to create an accurate report.
Use visuals – Include charts, tables, graphs to summarize data and enhance understanding.
Showcase successes – Bring out key facts and figures that demonstrate project achievements.
Remain objective – Document issues factually and avoid laying blame. Focus on process improvements.
Maintain version control – Store closeout reports in a central system and track report versions.

Following best practices results in high-quality closeout reports that provide immense value well after your project is over.

Sample Closeout Report Structure

Here is an example structure and outline you can follow when writing your closeout report:

Executive Summary

1 page high-level summary

Project Overview

Background
Goals
Timeline
Budget
Team
Location

Project Results

Scope delivered
Milestones achieved
Success metrics
Deliverables produced
Budget utilization

Lessons Learned

What worked well
Problems faced
Process improvements needed

Recommendations

Appreciation

Conclusion

Key Takeaways on Project Closeout Reports

The closeout report is a critical way to wrap up your project and capture details for future success. Key takeaways include:

Closeout reports document project details and learnings for future use.
Well-written closeout reports lead to process improvements over time.
Start collating project information early to ease report creation.
Objectively evaluate project success based on goals.
Document lessons learned related to processes, technology, resources, communications

how to write project closeout report

Free Project Closure Template

Start your project closure process out on the right foot with this template. Everything you need to capture when closing a project is outlined in our free project closure template for Word. You can make sure stakeholders have signed off on every document, contractors have been paid and their contracts closed and your team has been released from the project, so they can get started on the next one.

Evaluate Your Project

Managing a project isn’t only about tasks and resources, budget and deadlines, it’s an experience you can constantly learn from. While you should have been learning throughout the project, now is a great time to look back without the pressure and distractions that might have dulled your focus.

Gather the core team to invite feedback about what worked, and what didn’t. Encourage honesty during the project evaluation process. By documenting the mistakes and the successes of the project, you’re building a catalog that offers historic data. You can go back and look over the information for precedents when planning for new projects.

Projects are never standalone things, but part of a continuum, where the specifics might vary, but the general methods usually remain the same. There’s a wealth of knowledge produced after any project closes. For example, you should conduct a post-implementation review to determine whether your project met its objectives and what things could be done better when managing future projects.

As noted, projects generate reams of documents. These documents are going to have to get sign off and approval from stakeholders. Everything needs attention and must be signed for, which is the legal proof that in fact these documents have concluded. That includes closing all contracts you might have made with internal partners or vendors or any other resources you contracted with.

This includes addressing all outstanding payments. You want to make sure that all invoices, commissions, fees, bonus, what have you, are paid. Complete all the costs involved with the project. It’s not done if it’s not paid for.

Project management software can help you organize all these documents. ProjectManager acts like a hub for all your project files. You can track them on our list view, which is more than the usual to-do list app. For one thing, you can see the percentage complete for each item on the list. Now you know if that contractor has been paid and whether you can sign off on the contract. You can even set up notifications to make sure your payments are delivered on time. Try it out for yourself with this free trial.

You assemble a team for the project, and now you must cut them loose. It’s a formal process, and a crucial one, which frees them for the next project. Each team is brought together for the mix of skills and experience they bring to a project. The project determines the team members you’ll want to work with, and each project is going to be a little bit different, which will be reflected in the team hired to execute it.

This is true for internal as well as external resources. The external ones might be more obvious, as you contracted with them, and that contract is going to have a duration. When it’s over, make sure they’re all paid in full so they can sign off and leave. But internal resources remain, so you have to remind yourself that their time on the project is also limited, and you might be blocking other team’s projects if you don’t release your resources once the project is done.

There are lessons to be learned from old projects, which is why you meet with your team regularly during the project and look back on the process afterwards. However, if you don’t have an archive in which to pull the old records, then whatever knowledge you gain is lost because of poor organization and management. You worked hard to have great project documentation, don’t lose it.

Before you close a project, archive all the documents and any notes and data that could prove useful. Even if you never access it, there’s a need to keep a paper trail of the work done on any project for other people in the organization. This might include legal teams, or HR teams, or even your successor. You never know when someone might have to go back and respond to a question or want to learn how an old issue was resolved. Consider it like putting away provisions for the winter.

If it sounds silly to you, then you’re not doing your job. There’s nothing silly about rewarding your team to acknowledge a job well done. It creates closure, which is what this part of the project is all about, but it also plants a seed that will bloom in later projects when you work with members of the old team.

Before we dive into a checklist of steps that need to be taken to close a project, let’s first hear some expert advice on this project phase. In the video below, Jennifer Bridges, professional project manager (PMP) explains the basics of project closure.

To make sure you close your project properly, follow this step-by-step project closure checklist.

Start at the beginning with the project scope document you created and make sure that you’ve met all the requirements listed there.
Make sure that all deliverables have been handed off and signed by stakeholders, getting their approval and satisfaction.
Other project documents must also be signed by the appropriate person, this includes any outstanding contracts and agreements with vendors and other contractors.
Once documents are signed off on, then process them and pay off all invoices and close out any project-related contracts.
Add all documents together, including finalizing all project reports, then organize and archive them as historical data to be used for future reference.
Use collected paperwork to identify and document the lessons learned over the course of the project, including any feedback from stakeholders, so you don’t make the same mistakes in future projects.
Assign a transition support person to shepherd the project after completion so that the project closure is thorough.
Release or reassign the project resources, which includes your team and other project personnel and any equipment or site rentals used for the project.
If you’ve not used a project management software, get one, as it helps control not only the life cycle of the project but also the process of closing the project thoroughly.
Finally, but perhaps most importantly, celebrate with your project team. They did the work and deserve credit and an opportunity to blow off steam until the next project is started.

Closing the Project [5 STEPS TO PROJECT CLOSURE]

How do I write a closeout report for a project?

If you need to write a closeout report for a project, here are some steps you can take: 1. Locate previous documents Before starting on your project closeout report, locate all the documents you need to reference. Consider keeping your documents in a single location, like a shareable cloud drive.

How do I create a project closure report?

Here is a list of steps to help you create a closure report for your next project: 1. Label the document A project closure report usually begins with the project’s name, the team’s name or the name of its individual members, the project manager’s name, the executive sponsors and the current date at the top of the document.

How do I write a closure report?

If you’re using a closure report template, be sure to tailor it to your specific project. Don’t simply copy and paste information from the template. This will make your report less helpful and may even damage your credibility as a project manager. When writing your closure report, be sure to: Use clear and concise language.

What is a project closeout report?

A project closeout report is a comprehensive document detailing important project aspects and variances surrounding the project’s budget, timeline and scope. Typically, reports review the entirety of a project, offering insight into the project manager ‘s ability to execute the project’s phases successfully.