Chapter 13.
Project Completion and Closure

13.1 Introduction

Project completion is the final stage in the CIDA Bilateral Project Cycle. Formal closure of a project ensures that CIDA's financial and contractual involvement in the project is ended and that any outstanding issues are addressed. The project completion stage also affords CIDA an opportunity to review project performance and results and to identify key lessons. Formal closure of a project is undertaken when:

• all project activities are completed and reported upon, all contractual obligations have been fulfilled and cost audits have been resolved; or
• CIDA elects to terminate a project prematurely.

If an end-of-project evaluation funded from the project budget is planned or in progress, closure should be delayed. Evaluations funded from a source other than the project budget should not delay project closure.

13.2 Required Actions

The basic project management actions that need to be taken in the context of project closure include the following:

• financial obligations to contractors/suppliers should be settled provided that contractual obligations have been fulfilled (note: financial securities should remain in effect and should not be released until any cost audits are resolved);
• any audits and/or evaluations supported through project funds should be completed and finalized;
• the value of all purchase orders (POs) should be reduced to reflect the amount actually disbursed;
• any funds remaining in the project budget (and not required to meet final contractual obligations) should be moved into "remaining years" in order to free up Indicative Planning Figures (IPF) resources;
• an End of Project Environment Review, if necessary, should be undertaken to verify the accuracy of the environmental assessment, determine the effectiveness of any measures taken to mitigate the adverse environmental effects of the projects, and evaluate overall environmental performance for incorporation into CIDA's lessons learned;

Note:
If a project is being terminated early, or if there is a significant difference between the contract value and the amount spent, a contract termination or amendment may be required. Consult your Contracting Officer for more information.

• ownership of, and responsibility for, project assets should be clarified:
• in many cases, specifications for transfer of project assets have been noted in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Host Government and the Government of Canada, the Project Management Strategy or the Procurement Plan forming part of the Project Implementation Plan;
• if this is not the case, the Project Manager (PM), in collaboration with the country partner and the Canadian Post, must develop a strategy for the transfer of project assets at the time of project closure. (There are various options that can be considered in terms of project assets. Project assets can be transferred to the host government [particularly to the government department involved in the project], to a subsequent phase of the project, or to another CIDA project);
• If the transfer is to be to the host government in b) above, the strategy for the transfer of assets must be negotiated with the host government and an Exchange of Letters signed between the host government and CIDA;
• CIDA's contribution to the project should be formally recognized and acknowledged, in writing, by the recipient government/organization and a close-out amendment to the MOU should be signed;
• the documentation listed in section 13.3 should be compiled, with a copy sent to the Branch Strategic Planning Division and to Corporate Memory. The documentation should be filed in the project binder;
• following approval of project closure by the Program Director, the project budget should be adjusted in AIS to reflect the final amount actually disbursed on the project. The user status should be changed to user status 50 CLOS (Closed) and the acutal date inserted for milestone 500 (Final Report/closing). At this time, it should be verified that all milestone dates for the entire project life cycle have been entered correctly.

13.3 Project Closure Documentation

13.3.1 General Information

The project documentation compiled in order to seek the approval of the Program Director for project closure should convey the full nature of the project including its relevance, appropriateness, sustainability and cost-effectiveness. Project closure is also an opportunity for the project team to reflect on the results achieved by the project (including why various components were or were not successful), how these relate to overall program, branch and Agency goals and the lessons learned over the entire life cycle of the project.

Section 13.3.2 lists the minimum documentation required to record a project's history and achievements for project closure purposes. Project teams may add to this documentation, as appropriate, to better share the knowledge and lessons learned from the project

Note:
For more information or assistance with the project performance aspects of project closure, please contact your Branch performance review specialist.

13.3.2 Documentation Requirements

For projects included in the Project Performance Reporting (PPR) exercise (all projects valued at over $100K) the Project Team Leader will provide:

• the AIS Project Profile (which includes coding, financial and tombstone information);
• the final PPR signed by both the Project Team Leader and Program Director which includes the results achieved and cumulative lessons learned;
• the final LFA; and,
• the Executing Agency final report.

This material forms the documentary requirement to close a project once all other steps have been completed. The material, as part of the official record, will be supplemented by any audits, evaluations or reviews which have been carried out.

For projects where no PPR is prepared (projects valued at less than $100K) the documentary requirement is:

• the final AIS project profile:
• the final approved LFA: and,
• a narrative assessment of the project results (positive and negative, intended and unintended) and lessons learned.

In both cases, where in the Program Director's view, a final and formal evaluation of the project is required or would serve to inform the planning or CDPF process, one would be undertaken in consultation with your Branch.