Prepare Planned Closure is a critical activity within the Closing a Project Process in PRINCE2 7 that ensures an orderly and controlled conclusion to a project. This activity is initiated when the Project Manager receives authorization from the Project Board to close the project, typically after the final delivery stage has been completed successfully.

The primary purpose of Prepare Planned Closure is to systematically wrap up all project activities and verify that objectives have been achieved. The Project Manager must confirm that all planned products have been delivered and accepted by the appropriate stakeholders. This involves checking that quality criteria have been met and that the customer has formally accepted the project outputs.

During this activity, the Project Manager conducts a thorough review of the project's performance against the original baselines for time, cost, scope, quality, benefits, and risk. Any outstanding issues or risks must be addressed or formally handed over to the appropriate parties who will assume responsibility post-project.

Key deliverables produced during Prepare Planned Closure include the End Project Report, which documents the project's overall performance, lessons learned, and recommendations for future initiatives. The Project Manager also prepares the Lessons Report to capture valuable insights that can benefit the organization's future projects.

Additionally, arrangements must be made for ongoing operations and support of the delivered products. This includes ensuring that operational documentation is complete, support arrangements are in place, and any necessary training has been provided to those who will maintain or use the products.

The Project Manager must also update the Benefits Management Approach to reflect how post-project benefit reviews will be conducted, as many benefits may only be realized after the project has closed. Finally, all project records and documentation should be archived according to organizational standards, ensuring that valuable information remains accessible for future reference and audits.

Prepare Premature Closure is a critical activity within the PRINCE2 7 Closing a Project process that addresses situations where a project must be terminated before its planned completion date. This scenario typically occurs when the Business Case is no longer viable, the project objectives become unachievable, or external factors make continuation impractical.

When premature closure becomes necessary, the Project Manager must take several important steps. First, they need to ensure that the Project Board has formally authorized the early termination through an Exception Report or direct instruction. This provides the governance framework for proceeding with closure activities.

The Project Manager must then assess the current state of all project products and work packages. This involves identifying which products have been completed, which are partially finished, and which have not yet started. For incomplete products, decisions must be made regarding their disposition - whether to preserve them for potential future use, hand them over in their current state, or dispose of them appropriately.

Documentation becomes especially important during premature closure. The Project Manager needs to capture lessons learned, including the reasons why the project could not continue as planned. This information proves valuable for organizational learning and future project planning.

Handover arrangements require careful attention even in premature closure situations. Any completed or partially completed products that have value must be transitioned appropriately to operations or other receiving parties. Outstanding contracts, supplier agreements, and resource commitments need proper resolution.

The End Project Report must still be produced, documenting the project's achievements against its original objectives, explaining the circumstances leading to early termination, and providing recommendations for any follow-on actions. Finally, the Project Manager prepares recommendations for the Project Board regarding the release of project resources and the formal closure of the project organization.

Hand Over Products is a critical activity within the Closing a Project Process in PRINCE2 7 that ensures all project deliverables are formally transferred to the appropriate operational or maintenance environments and customer organizations. This activity confirms that the intended recipients are ready and able to accept responsibility for the products created during the project.

The purpose of handing over products is to verify that all acceptance criteria have been met and that the customer acknowledges receipt of the deliverables in a satisfactory state. This includes ensuring that all required documentation, training materials, user guides, and support arrangements are in place before the transfer occurs.

Key aspects of Hand Over Products include confirming that operational and maintenance arrangements have been established, ensuring that support agreements are active, and verifying that staff who will use or maintain the products have received adequate training. The Project Manager must obtain formal sign-off from the customer or users to confirm their acceptance of the products.

During this activity, any outstanding items or known defects should be documented and agreed upon with the receiving parties. A list of follow-on action recommendations may be created to address minor issues that do not prevent acceptance but require future attention.

The Project Manager works closely with Team Managers and the customer to coordinate the handover timing and logistics. This ensures minimal disruption to business operations while facilitating a smooth transition from project delivery to operational use.

Successful completion of Hand Over Products demonstrates that the project has delivered its intended outputs and that these outputs are now integrated into the business environment. This activity provides evidence that the project has fulfilled its obligations regarding deliverable transfer, which supports the overall closure decision made by the Project Board when authorizing project closure.

Evaluate Project is a critical activity within the Closing a Project process in PRINCE2 7. This activity ensures that the project's performance is thoroughly assessed before formal closure, providing valuable insights for both the current project and future organizational initiatives.

The primary purpose of evaluating the project is to measure how well the project performed against its original plans, baselines, and approved changes. This involves reviewing the Project Initiation Documentation to compare actual outcomes with planned objectives, timelines, costs, quality targets, and benefits expectations.

During this evaluation, the Project Manager compiles information from various sources including stage-level performance data, quality management records, risk and issue logs, and lessons learned throughout the project lifecycle. This comprehensive review helps identify what went well, what could have been improved, and any factors that contributed to success or challenges.

The evaluation feeds into the End Project Report, which documents the project's overall performance and provides a summary for the Project Board. This report includes an assessment of whether project objectives were achieved, how benefits realization is progressing, and recommendations for any follow-on actions required.

Key aspects examined during project evaluation include schedule performance, budget adherence, scope delivery, quality achievement, and stakeholder satisfaction. The evaluation also considers how effectively project controls and governance mechanisms operated throughout the project.

Lessons identified during this evaluation are captured and documented in the Lessons Report, ensuring organizational learning is preserved. These lessons become valuable assets for future projects, helping the organization continuously improve its project management practices.

The evaluation must be objective and honest, acknowledging both successes and areas requiring improvement. This transparency enables the Project Board to make informed decisions about project closure and provides accountability to stakeholders regarding the investment made in the project.

Recommend Project Closure is a critical activity within the Closing a Project process in PRINCE2 7. This activity involves the Project Manager preparing a formal recommendation to the Project Board that the project should be closed, whether through successful completion, premature closure, or handover to another entity.

The Project Manager must compile comprehensive evidence demonstrating that the project has achieved its objectives or explaining why closure is appropriate at this point. This includes verifying that all planned products have been delivered and accepted, confirming that acceptance criteria have been met, and ensuring that any outstanding actions or risks have been documented and assigned to appropriate owners.

Key elements of the recommendation include a summary of how well the project performed against its baseline plans, including time, cost, quality, scope, benefits, and risk metrics. The Project Manager must also confirm that lessons have been captured and will be made available for future projects, and that the project records are archived appropriately.

The recommendation should address the status of any follow-on action recommendations, which might include ongoing operational support requirements, future project suggestions, or items that need attention beyond the project lifecycle. Benefits review arrangements must also be confirmed, specifying how and when post-project benefits will be measured and by whom.

The End Project Report forms a central component of this recommendation, providing stakeholders with a complete picture of project performance and outcomes. This report captures what was delivered versus what was planned and documents any deviations or changes that occurred.

Once the Project Manager has assembled all necessary evidence and documentation, the formal recommendation is presented to the Project Board through the Closing a Project process. The Project Board then uses this information to make their decision on authorizing project closure, ensuring organizational governance requirements are satisfied.

In PRINCE2 7, the Closing a Project process includes two critical activities: conducting a Lessons Review and preparing for a Benefits Review. These elements ensure organizational learning and value realization from the project investment.

The Lessons Review involves systematically capturing and documenting knowledge gained throughout the project lifecycle. This includes examining what worked well, what could be improved, and any recommendations for future projects. The Project Manager compiles lessons from all team members, stakeholders, and project records into a comprehensive Lessons Report. This document becomes part of the organizational knowledge base, enabling future projects to benefit from experiences gained. The review covers technical aspects, management approaches, stakeholder engagement, and any innovative solutions discovered during delivery.

The Benefits Review focuses on assessing whether the project has delivered its intended outcomes and value. Since many benefits materialize after project closure, PRINCE2 distinguishes between benefits that can be measured at closure and those requiring post-project assessment. The Project Manager works with the Senior User to identify which benefits are already achievable and documents plans for measuring remaining benefits. A Benefits Management Approach outlines how and when future benefits will be reviewed, who holds responsibility for measurement, and what metrics will be used.

The Benefits Review Plan transfers accountability to operational management or a designated benefits owner who will track realization over time. This ensures continuity between project delivery and ongoing value assessment.

Both activities support the PRINCE2 principle of continued business justification by demonstrating actual value delivered against the original Business Case. They also contribute to organizational maturity by building a repository of practical knowledge and establishing clear accountability for benefit realization. The Project Board must approve the final documentation before formal project closure, confirming that appropriate arrangements exist for capturing lessons and tracking outstanding benefits.