How do you close an agile or iterative project?

1 Define the closure criteria

Defining closure criteria for your agile or iterative project is the first step. This involves identifying the conditions and metrics that indicate the project has achieved its objectives, delivered value, and met expectations. The closure criteria should be in line with the project vision, scope, and success factors, and should be accepted by the project team and sponsors. Examples of closure criteria include completing and accepting all user stories or features, deploying, testing, and validating all project deliverables, updating and archiving all project documentation and artifacts, finalizing and closing all project contracts, agreements, and payments, as well as resolving or transferring all project risks, issues, and changes.

2 Conduct a project review

Conducting a project review is a comprehensive and collaborative evaluation of the project performance, outcomes, and impacts. This should involve the project team, sponsors, customers, and other key stakeholders. The review should cover the project scope, schedule, budget, quality, benefits, risks, and team. In terms of scope, ask what was delivered, changed, or not delivered. For schedule, consider how long the project took and how it adhered to the planned timeline. Budget should cover the cost and sources of funds. Quality should assess how well standards were met and if quality assurance processes were implemented. Benefits should report value created for stakeholders and customers. Risks should identify and analyze events that affected the project. Lastly, for team consider roles and responsibilities as well as collaboration and communication.

3 Conduct a retrospective

Conducting a retrospective is the third step in the project process. This is a structured and facilitated session to reflect on the project process, practices, and learnings. The retrospective should involve the project team and other relevant participants, and should begin by setting the stage. This includes establishing the purpose, goals, and agenda of the retrospective, as well as creating a safe and respectful environment for sharing and learning. Data should then be collected and displayed using various sources and methods such as timelines, charts, surveys, or feedback forms. After analyzing and interpreting the data, patterns, trends, and root causes of what went well and wrong should be identified. From this, the most important and actionable improvements or changes that can be implemented should be prioritized. Finally, the main findings, recommendations, and action items of the retrospective should be summarized and communicated while celebrating and appreciating the achievements of those involved.

4 Celebrate and recognize

Celebrating and recognizing the achievements and efforts of the project team and stakeholders is a crucial step to acknowledge the value and impact of the project, to reward and motivate them, and to foster a positive and supportive culture. Consider organizing a project celebration event, such as a party, a lunch, or a ceremony. Share success stories, testimonials, and feedback with relevant audiences using newsletters, blogs, or social media. Provide tangible and intangible rewards that reflect their performance, contribution, and value. Don't forget to offer constructive and positive feedback to the project team and stakeholders - highlight their strengths, achievements, and areas for improvement.

5 Transition and handover

The final step is to transition and handover the project deliverables, responsibilities, and ownership to the appropriate parties. This requires integrating, sustaining, and supporting the project outputs and outcomes by the end users, customers, or operational teams. To do this, you should conduct a project handover meeting to formally transfer the project deliverables and documentation. Additionally, provide adequate training and guidance on how to use, maintain, and enhance the project deliverables. Furthermore, create a process for managing post-project support requests and assign roles and responsibilities for handling them. Finally, release the project team and stakeholders from their commitments and reassign them to other projects or tasks.