Last Updated: June 5, 2026
Closing Phase
At the end of every project, the work is finished, deliverables are ready, and the team reviews what was achieved and what lessons can be learned. In the Project MAP framework, the Closing Phase focuses on evaluating the project's performance and documenting lessons learned for future projects.
The Closing Phase has two main Activities: Assess Performance and Archive Project. These Activities help organizations assess whether goals were met, review how the project went, learn from the experience, and retain useful information for future work.
A key part of the Closing Phase is reviewing the Project Charter. During the early phases, the Charter evolves as project objectives are updated, constraints are refined, stakeholders are identified, risks are reviewed, and plans are developed. After the project is baselined, the Charter serves as the official record of what the project aimed to achieve.
When the project ends, the Project Charter serves as a key reference for assessing success. The team can compare what actually happened to the goals, limits, assumptions, expectations, and results listed in the Charter. In many ways, the Closing Phase comes down to one main question:
Did the project accomplish what it was authorized to accomplish?
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Closing Phase in the Project MAP structured workflow model for building a technically sound Master Project in Microsoft Project.
Update Project < Closing Phase > Assess Performance
Activity 14: Assess Performance
In Activity 14, Assess Performance, the team reviews how well the project met its goals and was managed.
Performance reviews can examine project results, how the schedule and budget were managed, stakeholder satisfaction, team and manager performance, resource use, and organizational support. The Project Charter is often used in this review because it sets out the project's goals and expectations.
The goal is not to blame anyone, but to see what went well, what did not, and how future projects can be improved.
By reviewing performance, organizations can identify what works, spot common problems, and find ways to improve project management.
Why the MS Project Master Class Does Not Cover the Closing Phase in Detail
This MS Project Master Class primarily covers activities that involve extensive work in Microsoft Project.
Assess Performance and Archive Project are important, but they do not require much work inside Microsoft Project. Most of the work involves reviewing the project, learning lessons, checking with the organization, managing documents, and capturing knowledge.
Because of this, the Closing Phase is explained in general terms but not covered in detail, as are Activities in the Planning and Executing Phases.
Why the Closing Phase Matters in Microsoft Project
Clearly, a Master Project updated and completed provides the basis for assessing performance, and a large portion of the archived data comes from this Master Project.
Many organizations put a lot of effort into planning and running projects, but spend less time reviewing results and saving what they learned. As a result, important lessons, schedules, estimates, risks, assumptions, and performance data can be lost.
The Closing Phase makes sure project information is saved for future projects, so organizations can benefit from what they learned during the project.
As you work on your Master Project in the MS Project Master Class, keep in mind that good project management continues after the work is done. Projects need to be reviewed, documented, archived, and used to help future projects succeed.
First Activity in the Closing Phase: Assess Performance
The first step in the Closing Phase is to assess performance. Before saving project information, the team should review what was done, check if goals were met, and note any lessons learned. Activity 14 is a chance to measure success, review performance, and improve future projects.
Executing Phase FAQs
What Is the Purpose of the Closing Phase?
The Closing Phase involves reviewing how the project went and documenting key project details once the work is done. This is the time to check if objectives were met, note what was learned, and store information for future projects.
Which Activities Are Included in the Closing Phase?
There are two main activities in the Closing Phase:
Activity 14: Assess Performance.
Activity 15: Archive Project.
These activities help organizations review project outcomes and keep useful knowledge for the future.
Why Is the Closing Phase Important?
Many organizations put a lot of effort into planning and running projects but often don’t spend much time reviewing results or saving project information.
The Closing Phase ensures that best practices, lessons learned, and project data are documented so they can inform future projects.
Why Does the Closing Phase Revisit the Project Charter?
The Project Charter is the official document that explains what the project was meant to achieve.
In the Closing Phase, the team assesses how the project turned out relative to the goals, constraints, and expectations outlined in the Charter. This shows if the project did what it was supposed to do.
How Is Project Success Evaluated?
To judge if a project was successful, people usually look at several things, such as:
Achievement of project objectives.
Stakeholder satisfaction.
Schedule performance.
Cost performance.
Quality of deliverables.
Team performance.
Overall project results.
The Project Charter is often used as a key reference during this review.
Why Are Lessons Learned Important?
Lessons learned help organizations identify what worked well, what problems recurred, and where things could be improved.
When organizations record and share what they learned from a project, they can plan and manage future projects more effectively.
What Information Should Be Archived at the End of a Project?
The information saved at the end of a project might include:
Project schedules.
Baselines.
Reports.
Lessons learned.
Performance assessments.
Risks and issues.
Assumptions.
Communications.
Project Charter.
Supporting documentation.
This saved information can be very helpful for future projects.
Why Doesn't the MS Project Master Class Cover the Closing Phase in Detail?
This MS Project Master Class primarily covers Activities that involve extensive work in Microsoft Project.
Although the Closing Phase is important in project management, there isn’t much to do directly in Microsoft Project during this stage. Most of the work involves reviewing the project, documenting lessons learned, managing documents, and capturing knowledge for the organization.
How Does the Closing Phase Support the Master Project?
The Closing Phase lets you review how well the Master Project performed and save it as a record for future reference.
A finished Master Project can give useful information for future planning, estimating, training, and improving project management.
Why Is Archiving Project Information Important?
Future projects often benefit from having access to past project data.
Saved schedules, estimates, risks, assumptions, resource plans, and lessons learned usually provide better planning information than relying on guesses. Keeping this information helps organizations improve their project management over time.
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