The Toolkit brings together resources for creating, managing, and sharing digital collections to address common concerns we often hear, like this one:
My digitization project will end later this year. What do I need to do to wrap up this work?
All good things must come to an end, right? Whether grant-funded or supported by internal or other funding sources, here are some tips for wrapping up any digitization project!
Review your original plan
What did you commit to doing as part of this project? Review your original grant proposal or project plan and remind yourself (and your team!) of the original goals and outcomes. If your project is grant-funded, now is an excellent time to review any wrap-up requirements specific to your funding entity.
Connect with partners and community groups
Reach out to project partners or community groups and let them know that your project is ending. Talk to them about their ongoing commitment to the project. If your project is grant-funded, check in with the funding entity and share your wrap-up date and plan.
What did you commit to creating and sharing as part of this project? Hand off any tangible deliverables to project partners, stakeholders, or community groups. What’s a tangible deliverable? These might include digital files, survey results, “how-to” documents or training materials, communications or outreach, publications, or other materials that you intended to share out. Some of these may be delineated in your original grant proposal so, again, review your project goals and activities for tangible deliverables.
Did you borrow a scanner to complete your project? Did you outsource digitization work to a vendor? Are there volunteers who still have your handheld recording devices? Be sure to return any borrowed equipment and arrange for the return of any remaining project materials or equipment.
Help transition your team members
Check in with your organization’s human resources department or support staff (if you have them) to review any specific offboarding processes for limited-term or grant-funded staff, such as completing an exit interview, closing out email or social media accounts, or returning office equipment.
If folks are moving on to other work, offer to help them with references or a resume and cover letter review as appropriate. If they are staying on with your organization, reassign them to other projects. Identify a staff person to oversee any remaining or ongoing project-related tasks as needed.
Wrap up the financials
Be sure to finalize outstanding contracts and agreements with consultants and any other vendors or contractors you hired to complete project work and work with your human resources staff to process and pay all invoices and close out any project-related contracts or accounts.
Manage that grant!
If you received funding from an outside source, review your grant documentation and take note of any final reporting requirements and due dates. Got questions? Reach out to your contact from the funding entity as soon as possible.
Compile information needed for any final reports. Review meeting notes, survey data, emails or other key communications with project staff or volunteers or key stakeholders.
Review your project budget and financial documentation to assess your final budget situation. Request final reimbursement from your funding entity.
Preserve key project documentation and files
Locate and assemble key project documentation including:
- Project plans
- Workflows and training materials
- Meeting materials (agendas, minutes, slide decks)
- Reports and publicity materials
- Budgets, receipts, and contracts
- Policies and partnership agreements or MoUs
- Permission forms or donor agreements
- Logins and passwords for hosting platforms, cloud storage, software tools, or shared workspaces such as Dropbox or Google Suite
- Locations of external hard drives or other hardware or software necessary to sustain or preserve the project
- Press clips or other media coverage
Organize and archive this documentation as historical data for future reference. Consider who within your organization will need access to the project documentation and make sure they know where to find it in either paper or electronic format. The next person in your position will appreciate it, too!
If you haven’t done so already, consider creating a folder/file organizational scheme that’s simple to understand, especially for future staff who may not be familiar with the project or its digital output. Rename your folders and files following a few tips and best practices shared in a recent Toolkit post, The Toolkit: File Renaming.
Preserve your project documentation and products/digital files including images, audio, video, data or other content created. Follow the “3-2-1 Rule” which suggests saving three copies of your digital files on two different storage mechanisms with at least one copy stored offsite. Check with your organization’s IT staff for additional requirements or policies that might impact digital preservation. For more information, see our Digital Projects Toolkit: Storage.
Evaluate and reflect
Arrange a project “debrief” with your team shortly after your project ends. Invite project staff, volunteers, leaders, or other key stakeholders to join you. Discuss the successes, challenges, and lessons learned, and invite honest feedback about their experiences. Consider administering an end-of-project survey to gather additional or anonymous impressions. Use this information to craft any final reports or future project plans.
Share your accomplishments and CELEBRATE!
Share your project deliverables with all the people and in all the locations that need to know about your excellent work. Be sure to inform your Board, Friends group, colleagues, content contributors, and any funding entities.
Create announcements and share via email or listservs, blogs or social media posts, newsletter articles, a press release to local news outlets, or other communication platforms.
Send thank-you notes or other expressions of gratitude to your project team, volunteers, funding entity, or other project participants. Be sure to acknowledge their contribution in your outreach and on your website.
Finally, but perhaps most importantly, celebrate with your project team! Invite folks back for an event (in person or virtual) celebrating your project completion.
Got tips for wrapping up a project? Feel free to share them here or with our community of practice at info@recollectionwisconsin.org!
