Hi Paul, Would welcome your feedback.
At the handover and closeout phase of the project, there are some distinct activities that must take place. Specifically at handover these include:
Acceptance: This is the formal procedure that says to the sponsor and the users that the project has discharged its obligations and delivered everything required of it. This is normally managed within an acceptance procedure that documents the criteria for products in the contract from the outset. If there are no criteria defined within the contract, acceptance criteria are usually defined within the Project Management Plan. It is normal for the sponsor and / or users to sign an acceptance certificate, confirming that the products delivered meet the criteria.
Commissioning: This is where users take on the products and become familiar with how to operate them. The products are transformed from a “raw” product into an operational asset. Commissioning can vary hugely in time. For a large war ship, for example, commissioning can last several months, for a software programme, commissioning may require less time. For example, once the IT Technicians are trained in the programme’s use, the software can be used within the organisation.
Transfer of responsibility: Is where users take over formal ownership of the products. For this to happen, users must ensure they have everything in place to not continually refer back to the project team.
Once handover is complete, the project team move to the closeout phase. Here a number of activities must take place. These include:
Team dissolution: Where the project team will need to be disbanded and redeployed in a co-ordinated and controlled manner. Most projects seek to disband the team in a gradual way, rather than all members leave the project at once.
Disposal of project facilities and assets: This requires all office facilities, computers, coffee machines etc to be returned to their owners, sold or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. All documents must be carefully indexed and archived for future use.
Hi, here is my answer, feedback would be appreciated.
The purpose of the Handover and Closeout Phase is to involve the users, and is a key for a successful transition of the product from the project environment to the operational environment.
The following take place during the handover Phase:
Acceptance: This is a process where the sponsor and user sign an acceptance certificate to confirm that the product delivered lives up to the requirements and acceptance criteria documented either in the contract or in the Project Management Plan.
Commissioning: A transition period from where the user receives the product and put it to use. It is a time period that can vary from one project type to another, where the user familiarise themselves with the product and able to implement it into the organisation. This can be achieved through training, or having a test period with live data.
Transfer of responsibility: Passing the responsibility from the project team to the users, making sure that the users have everything needed to be able to cope with the product on their own. A support agreement might be arranged to make sure that the users are confident enough to be on their own.
Now that responsibility is transferred, the project team can continue with the Closeout Phase:
Team Dissolution: now that the product is delivered and the project has ended, the team members will need to be reallocated to other projects and might be working with different team members. This should be done in a coordinated and sympathetic way since the team has worked together for a period of time and might need to adjust to the change of teams.
All Project Facilities and Assets disposed of: this can be thought of as a cleaning up process, where any equipment and devices are either disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner or returned to their owners. All documentation should be indexed and archived according to the archiving principles so that it is easy to find for future use.
Post Project Review: A post project review is held to ensure that all the project requirements have been met and that the project team is released from any obligations. It is also to understand what has happened in the project, and if there are any lessons learned to be taken into account.
Laila
Yes that is a fine answer, did you do it closed book. I am very please with the answers you have done, enjoy next week in London.
Paul