By Addition
Termination by addition occurs when the project team becomes a new part of the parent organisation.
Resources are transferred to the new organisational unit, which is integrated into the parent organisation.
This type of project termination is typical for organisations with a project structure.
By Integration
The project is successfully completed. The project product is integrated into the operations of the client.
This is the most common mode and most complex operation. Termination by integration occurs when
the project’s resources, as well as its deliverables, are integrated into the parent organisation’s various
units. This approach is very common in a matrix organisation because most people involved in a project
are also affiliated with one or more functional units. When the project terminates, team members are
reintegrated into their corresponding units.
By Starvation
- The project is terminated by budget decrement.
- It is also known as withdrawal of “life support”.
- The reason for this termination is generally to shadow the failure to accomplish the goals.
This can save face for the senior management and avoid embarrassment.
Senior management is responsible for the decision to terminate. Before making a decision senior
management should work closely with the project manager who is in charge of the project. The project
manager should know the situation quite well. If he is a good project manager he works closely with the
project team and gets periodic feedback. So he should be able to give the management advice whether
the project should be terminated or not.
There are also other “measurement methods” with which to decide if the project should be terminated
or not. Before terminating, a final audit could verify the results to give senior management another
source of advice.
7.4.3
Project Termination Problems
There are some problems caused by project termination. These can be divided into two groups. The first
group covers the emotional problems. These problems can be divided again into two parts, problems
with the staff and problems with the client. The staff might be afraid that they won’t have future work.
Project termination can also lead to some losses, for example loss of interest in the remaining task, loss
of project-derived motivation or the loss of the team identity. You also might have some trouble with
reassignment. Which people will be put together in which project?