Project Management ToolBox: Tools and Techniques for the Practicing Project Manager

15

Performance Reporting and Closure

In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future.

Eric Hoffer

Major topics in this chapter are performance reporting and closure tools:

• Risk Log
• Summary Progress Report
• Postmortem Review

Figure 15.1 The role of performance reporting and closure tools in the standardized project management process.

These tools are designed to aid in monitoring and reporting progress, and closing the project (see Figure 15.1). In particular, they first enable us to monitor, report, and control risks. Further, with their help we can collect and disseminate performance information to familiarize stakeholders with project progress toward its objectives. Lastly, they can assist us in learning from our project mistakes and successes in order to improve future performance. The value of what they help produce is strongly dependent on the information they receive from the scope, schedule, cost control, and other tools from facilitation processes. The target of this chapter is to offer practicing and prospective project managers the following learning opportunities:

• Become familiar with performance reporting and closure tools
• Choose performance reporting and closure tools that match their project situation
• Customize the tool of their choice

These skills are vitally important in implementing a project and building a standardized PM process.

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