Project closure reports provide the opportunity to acknowledge project achievements and outcomes; better prepare agencies to deliver future digital projects by capturing the successes and failures of a completed project; and record key lessons which could improve the performance of other in-flight and future projects. These reports are also crucial in providing visibility to Government on how digital and ICT-enabled projects are performing in realising the scope and benefits as agreed (and funded) by Government.
This standard aims to uplift closure reporting practices and ensure closure reports for the Australian Government’s digital and ICT-enabled projects consistently include a minimum set of information.
Agencies should self-assess their draft project closure reports against each of the below criteria. To exemplify better practice, agencies should aim to be strongly aligned with all seven criteria prior to finalising their project closure reports.
Standard statements
Agencies should self-assess their draft project closure reports, rating each criterion as having 'nil alignment', 'emerging alignment' or 'strong alignment' to the following criteria:
- The project has recorded project performance against the agreed scope outlined in the Business Case (or equivalent).
- The project has recorded project performance against the agreed schedule outlined in the Business Case (or equivalent).
- The project has recorded achievement of outcomes and measured benefits realisation against their benefits management plan.
- The project has recorded project performance against the agreed budget outlined in the Business Case (or equivalent).
- The project has recorded the completion of assurance activities as per the agreed Assurance Plan with the DTA.
- The project has detailed fit-for-purpose transition arrangements in preparation for a shift to a business-as-usual environment.
- The project has documented key lessons learned and how the lessons will be applied to in-flight and future projects for the agency and the Australian Government.
Criterion 1: The project has recorded project performance against the
agreed project scope outlined in the Business Case (or equivalent).
Alignment |
Evidence |
|---|---|
Strong |
The project closure report meets the Emerging requirements. AND Includes rationale for and subsequent impact of any adjustments to the agreed scope throughout the course of the project. |
Emerging |
The project closure report provides an overview of the project, its key objectives and scope components as agreed in the Business Case (or equivalent). AND Includes a record of any adjustments to the agreed scope throughout the course of the project. AND A copy of the original Business Case (as agreed by Government) and/or the project scope document is attached. |
Nil |
The project closure report does not outline, or include artefacts that outline, an overview of the project and its scope as agreed in the Business Case (or equivalent). A record of project performance against this scope is not provided. |
Criterion 2: The project has recorded project performance against the agreed project schedule outlined in the Business Case (or equivalent).
Alignment |
Evidence |
|---|---|
Strong |
The project closure report meets the emerging requirements. AND Includes rationale for and the subsequent impact of any changes to the agreed schedule (including schedule slippages, movement of key milestones, or schedule change requests) throughout the course of the project. |
Emerging |
The project closure report provides a record of project performance against the agreed schedule including the delivery of key milestones. |
Nil |
The project closure report does not record project performance against the agreed schedule including the delivery of key milestones. |
Criterion 3: The project has recorded achievement of outcomes and measured benefits realisation against their benefits management plan.
Alignment |
Evidence |
|---|---|
Strong |
The project closure report meets emerging requirements. AND Includes an agreed plan for the full transition of ongoing benefit management and monitoring activities (e.g. governance arrangements) to benefit owners post project closure. |
Emerging |
The project closure report details the project’s achievement of outcomes and their relationship to benefits realisation as outlined in the benefits management plan. This includes the progress and percentage of benefits realised, expected date of realisation and transition of benefit owners. AND Includes a summary of and rationale for any formal changes to benefits and their realisation throughout the course of the project. |
Nil |
The project closure report does not detail achievement of outcomes and their relationship to benefits realisation as outlined in the benefits management plan. |
Criterion 4: The project has recorded project performance against the agreed budget outlined in the Business Case (or equivalent).
Alignment |
Evidence |
|---|---|
Strong |
The project closure report meets the emerging requirements. AND Includes rationale for and subsequent impacts (including impacts to wider Agency) of any changes to the original budget (such as Movement of Funds requests or additional funding received). |
Emerging |
The project closure report provides a final budget position against the agreed budget and a breakdown of the project’s performance against this budget is included. AND Includes a record of any changes to the agreed budget throughout the course of the project. |
Nil |
The project closure report does not provide the project’s final budget position or record of project performance against the agreed budget. |
Criterion 5: The project has recorded the completion of assurance activities as per the agreed Assurance Plan with the DTA.
Alignment |
Evidence |
|---|---|
Strong |
The project closure report meets emerging requirements. AND Includes an assessment of the effectiveness and value of assurance activities in achieving successful delivery of program outcomes. |
Emerging |
The project closure report records the completion of Assurance activities (this includes both internal and external Assurance activities) as per the agreed Assurance Plan with the DTA. AND Includes rationale for any material changes to planned assurance activities and a record of key outcomes from the assurance activities. |
Nil |
The project closure report does not record the completion of Assurance activities as per the agreed Assurance Plan with the DTA. |
Criterion 6: The project has detailed fit-for-purpose arrangements to transition to Business as Usual (BAU).
Alignment |
Evidence |
|---|---|
Strong |
The project closure report meets the emerging requirements AND The project closure report details the project’s sustainment funding plans and the impact of transferring incomplete or outstanding deliverables to BAU (if any). |
Emerging |
The project closure report details transition arrangements for the project and outlines the arrangements, delivery and responsible owners of any deliverables or scope components that remain incomplete or outstanding. AND The project closure report includes a register of key ongoing risks and issues that will be transferred to BAU. |
Nil |
The project closure report does not detail transition arrangements for the project (including ongoing risks and issues) and does not acknowledge outstanding scope components. |
Criterion 7: The project has documented lessons learned and how the lessons will be applied to in-flight and future projects for the agency and the Australian Government.
Alignment |
Evidence |
|---|---|
Strong |
The project closure report meets the emerging requirements. AND The project closure report articulates how the key lessons identified are linked to the key delivery challenges and/or issues experienced throughout the course of the project; this includes addressing the source of each issue. |
Emerging |
The project closure report has documented key lessons from the project (including key learnings from the assurance activities) and the process through which they were identified (e.g. consultation with key internal and external stakeholders). An explanation as to how the identified lessons will be applied to other in-flight and future projects has been included and artefacts that clearly outline full lessons learned, such as a lessons learned register, has been attached. |
Nil |
The project closure report has not identified key lessons from the project, the process through which they were identified or provided an explanation as to how these lessons will be applied to other in-flight and future projects. Lessons learned artefacts including a lessons learned register have not been attached. |