Post-Project Audit

At the conclusion of the project and before the final project report is submitted, a project manager should complete an audit of the success of the project. The purpose of the audit is to analyze the completed project, the effectiveness of the project team, the success of the project, the value of the deliverables, and the overall approval from the clients. The audit can become part of your Lessons Learned documentation.

This audit must answer the following questions:

Was the Project Vision Achieved?  Remember when you first created the vision of the project? That vision may have changed as the project evolved. The first question should answer whether the project accomplished what its original intent was. If the project did not, explain why. Projects have a tendency to change and develop from the concept to the creation—sometimes for the better.

Was the Project on Track from Start to Finish?  Hopefully, the project was able to stay on plan, on time, and within the allotted budget. If the project wasn’t able to stay within the bounds of any of these areas, explain why. Sometimes the scope changed, the resources flexed, or the expenses of the project were not predicted as accurately as they should have been. This should be an honest reflection of each side of the project triangle (scope, time, and budget).

Can You Share the Knowledge?  Some organizations have a project management system in place that requires project managers to report on their methodology and how it worked for them, or what they may have done during the project to improve the process. These adjustments that you make during the implementation need to be shared so that other project managers within the organization may benefit from your insights.

The post-project audit is an activity that far too many project managers skip. Don’t ever skip it. It is an extremely valuable process that will help you become a better project manager. In addition, it is an excellent method for reporting on the work you’ve completed and the value you’ve added to a company. You may choose to use this report as leverage in negotiations for future projects.