Memorandum
After closure of the project, the project manager studies the performance of his selected team of experienced professionals and their departments. When assessment and review of the project is complete, the Project manager documents the findings, lessons and recommendations to the stakeholders of the organization and sponsors who will share it to the rest of the organization and support the project financially. According to the United Nations Post-project analysis in environmental impact assessment conducted in 2010; the team (which may consist of foreign or local members) will focus its concern on providing accurate insight on how well the project was managed in equipping new employees with the necessary skills according to the Measurable Organizational value (MOV) defined before implementing the project.
BENEFITS
Using a tactical approach increases the level of accuracy in the information obtained hence ensures proper decisions according to the findings. The postmortem analyses will indicate the details in the success of the project by simplifying the results of each department in the project. With every aspect considered in the analyses, postmortem review helps to rate the overall performance of the project. Once supplied to stake holders and to obtain feedback on unfinished areas (if any), the report can then be presented. Satisfaction of participants is a crucial aspect that the team sets out to study too. The success of the projects depends partly on how the participants appreciated it.
The report provides a summary of the background description and history of the project. A summary of the vital aspects in the project include:
- project full summary
- background and description.
- The Measurable organizational value (MOV).
- The scope, budget, scheduling, deadlines and specific objectives.
- Test results and deliverables of each phase.
- Training materials and resources.
- Any outstanding issues
- Both system and maintenance documentation.
The resources and materials utilized during the training sessions such as meals, the cost of travel and accommodation should be audited and reviewed in order to achieve an accurate summary comparable to the budget. These reports are crucial in identifying loop-holes (in activities) to be avoided in a future project so as to utilize fully and if possible save resources.
The postmortem reports can be archived for future reference by an organization. These documents and deliverables may be used to perform auditing and also the dependable information (which can be relied upon as experience) used in another future project.
For a successful project, the supervisors and management can; by assessing the postmortem report, approve it formally and recommend it for the organization's future engagements as a reliable plan for development. However, if the project turned out unsuccessful, Kezner in her book Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling asserts, the assessment team must identify reasons leading to its failure and recommend the possible solutions to improve the performance of the project.
DISADVANTAGES
The time spent to conduct a postmortem review may be long to ensure the accuracy in the reports and deliverables. These delays may frustrate participants and concerned staff (Kerzner 13). On the other hand, fast tracking the assessment increases the risk of loosing the accuracy of the information.
MEMBERS TO ATTEND THE MEETING
The members appointed to attend the postmortem review meeting are as listed.
• Project manager
• Human resource manager
• Training Center Chairperson
• Training Center Secretary
• Training Center Treasurer
• Health Officer
• Emergency crew manager.
CONCLUSION
My greatest expectation is that the project Sponsor and other key stakeholders should consent to finance a future project since they will be confident with the successful completion of the project. The team members, having done a thorough job, expect to be rewarded by keeping their jobs in future consideration by the top managers.
References
Kerzner, H. R. (2013). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
United Nations. 2010). Post-project analysis in environmental impact assessment. New York: United Nations.
