No matter the reason for a project being closed out, the need for formal processes for closure remain. In Chapter 9, Monitoring and Controlling Project Work, you reviewed the validate scope process:
- Produce the deliverable during execution
- Verify quality via inspection
- Validate scope via inspection
- Formal closure of the project or phase
To formally close out your project or phase, the validation or formal sign-off of the scope of work needs to be done regardless of why the project has ended. Even in the case of the bicycle customer wanting a motorcycle halfway through the project, the bicycle scope of the work would need to be validated or approved. You still have to get paid, right?
The same concept applies to phase closures. We reviewed quality gates and governance gates as check-points for approvals, go/no-go decisions, and formal acceptance...