ICE005 - Project Closeout Best Practices & Strategies Effectively Leading Change

Course Description

As project managers, we tend to keep our eyes focused on the finish line. For us, it is all about on-time completion. Once the deliverables have been handed over to our project sponsor or client, we relax - the project is over. But is it really?

Project closeout always presents challenges: from getting final approvals to performing administrative and contract closure, capturing lessons learned, and more.  At the rapid pace of business today, efficient project closure is a must and may even give you a competitive edge. This course introduces project managers to the best practices for getting final sign-offs and closing out projects. Project managers will come away with a structured closeout framework and some templates that can be used to complete an orderly project closeout.

Every organization experiences some form of change to requiring varying degrees of organizational transformation in a rapidly shifting environment. Many leaders and employers struggle to keep up with the pressures to respond to the demands of the changing economy. The process of change can bring stress to even the strongest organizations. Strategies for Effectively Leading through Change is aimed to assist leaders in how identifying and addressing the typical questions and concerns that employees raise during times of uncertainty, as well as how to use appropriate change strategies and corresponding behaviours to address employee responses to change. 

TRC Calls to Action

Business and Education #92

We call upon the corporate sector in Canada to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms, and standards to corporate policy and core operational activities involving Indigenous peoples and their lands and resources.

Learning Outcomes

Learners will gain practical skills to:

• Use a structured approach to get the final sign-off and close out a project.
• Describe the barriers to project closeout including both scope and lifecycle barriers.
• Describe how to overcome closeout activities including financial, administrative, and legal closure (and more!).
• Use lessons learned to drive continuous improvement.
• Identify barriers to change and develop plans to manage them.
• Assess different reactions to change, including your own.
• Determine the appropriate change strategies to use and corresponding behaviours to address employee concerns regarding the change.
• Proactively plan change communications to build commitment.
• Apply best practice techniques to lead teams through change.

Skills & Competencies

• Structured approaches to project closeout
• Scope and lifecycle barriers
• Scope definition and management
• Quality management
• Stakeholder management
• Scope management
• Project closeout activities
• Lessons learned
• Change management strategies
• Identifying barriers to change
• Change management communication
• Leading teams through change
• Stakeholder management
• Best practices for leading teams through change

Summary

• Number of hours: 3.5 hours/day x 4 days = 14 hours

• Assessment: Attendance and participation are mandatory for all four sessions and are monitored by the facilitator. Lack of attendance and/or participation may affect the learner's successful completion of the course. Successful completion of the course involves achieving 80% on the Final Quiz.

• Previous education required: The prerequisite for this course is Project Management Essentials. The remaining badges of the Project Management MicroCertificate can be taken in any order.

• Delivery: Hybrid course with online modules and remote learning (Four half-day Zoom meetings).

• Completion timeline: You will have access to the course for one week from the last scheduled course date.

FAQ's

Is this course for everyone?

• Yes, this course is relevant to all people from all walks of life. The learners' life experiences will influence how they experience the course.

Some individuals and organizations may be GST-exempt.

• First Nations University of Canada is situated on the Star Blanket First Nation and is exempt from Provincial Sales Tax (PST). If you or your organization are exempt from Government Sales Tax (GST), please contact icec@firstnationsuniversity.ca to ensure that your invoice is prepared accordingly.

I need financial support. What funding options does ICEC recommend?

• Check out our Funding Opportunities here. 

I am interested in an in-person offering of this course. 

• Please contact icec@firstnationsuniversity.ca to learn more about which courses can be offered in person and discuss the options. 

Who do I contact if I need help?

• Check out ICEC's Learner Support page to see if your question is answered in the FAQs. If your question remains unresolved, feel free to complete the form with your question, or you may contact icec@firstnationsuniversity.ca for assistance with any questions you may have. We are here to help! Support requests are received during regular office hours. Please expect a response within 24-48 hours. 

Testimonials

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Project Management Professional MicroCertificate : Project Management Professional MicroCertificate