Project Closure and Benefits Realization
What the domain is really testing
Closure is more than a final meeting. Candidates must know the components: formal acceptance of deliverables, transition to operations, release of resources, contract closure, financial closure, lessons learned, and archive. Benefits realisation is the longer game: benefits are defined in the business case, measured after handover, and owned by the business. Distinguish outputs (what the project produces), outcomes (the change in the organisation), and benefits (the measurable value).
Concepts to hold firmly
- Benefits are often realised after the project closes; the benefits realisation plan outlives it.
- Lessons learned are only useful if captured early and shared, not written at the end and filed.
- A project may be terminated early; closure still applies, with a documented rationale.
- Post-implementation review compares actual benefits with the case.
Traps
Questions often imply the project manager owns benefits realisation; accountability usually sits with the business owner or sponsor. Another trap is skipping lessons learned on a cancelled project - cancellation is exactly when they matter most. Watch for answers that treat handover as complete once documents are signed, ignoring operational readiness and support arrangements.
Rule of thumb
Ask who will measure the benefit, when, and with what data - if no one can answer, the benefit is not yet defined.
Worked example
A new CRM goes live. Output: the system. Outcome: sales staff use one pipeline. Benefit: 15% shorter sales cycle measured quarterly by the sales director for two years post-closure. The project manager delivers the first two; the director owns the third.