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When closing a project, it's the project manager's responsibility to evaluate the team as a whole. This evaluation is judged against the expectations established over the course of the project.
When evaluating the team as a whole, the following are some expectations to consider:
| Expectation | Description | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Collaboration | The ability to actively collaborate with one another. | Does the team function well when cooperating? |
| Communication | Keeping one another informed on individual accountabilities | Was there an open and free flow of information about the work? |
| Documentation | Keeping project documentation up to date, including scheduled progress | Was design and support documentation maintained? Was time tracking completed when needed? Was the project manager notified when tasks were delayed? |
| Problem solving | Problem solving as a group and managing project risk. | When issues arose, did the team function as a group? Did only individuals solve problems? |
| Team meeting participation | Attend and contribute to project meetings | Did everyone attend and contribute to the team meetings? |
The project manager should evaluate the team based on these expectations and any others established by the organization's standards.
In addition to team performance, team members must also be evaluated separately. This is an important part of the closing process because it is the time when feedback is most beneficial to someone shifting to a new project.
This evaluation might also be included in an individual's annual performance review so it might be mandatory for a project manager to complete. If it is part of the performance review, the project manager should use the performance management processes, tools, and rating definitions as used by the organization.
In either case, individual team members should be evaluated against the performance expectations set by the organization and at the initiation of the project. These expectations can include the following:
| Expectation | Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Assigned tasks | Did the individual complete the work? |
| Assigned deliverables | Did the individual develop and handle deliverables in adherence to the project scope’s quality and performance standards? |
| Established timelines | Did the individual meet their estimates for assigned work? |
| Additional quality standards | Did the individual, such as a team lead, perform the additional duties expected in his/her position? |
| Any other activities involved in managing the project | Were there any areas where an individual’s efforts either helped or harmed the project? |
When evaluating an individual's performance, be sure to use criteria that is specific and measurable. A project manager should remember to include positive feedback as well as negative feedback when needed. Also, it is best to meet in person with the individual when delivering the evaluation.
The team can be released to other work only after the following has occurred:
Source: This work adapted from Sophia Author Jeff Carroll.
