Project records can be permanently deleted in Altus if the user has the appropriate permissions.

Important:
Deleting a project is permanent and cannot be undone. All related project data will be deleted. Always confirm with your organisation’s governance process before deleting a project.

Deleting a Project

1. Open the required project record
2. From the command bar at the top, select Delete

If You Do Not Have Permission

• You will receive a message indicating that you do not have sufficient privileges

👉 Contact your system administrator or PMO for assistance

If You Have Permission

• A confirmation screen will appear

You will be prompted to:

1. Enter the project name exactly
2. Select Delete

Important:

• The deletion is permanent
• All related data will be deleted
• This action cannot be reversed

Governance and Permissions

• Deletion of parent records (Projects, Programs, Portfolios, Bookable Resources) is typically restricted to administrators
• This setting is managed centrally by administrators in system configuration

Parent vs Child Records

Important:
Deletion protection applies to the parent record only, not to all related data structures.

• Parent record (Project):
• • Protected from deletion (admin-controlled)
• Child records (within a project):
• • Risks
  • Issues
  • Tasks
  • Financials
  • Deliverables
  • Other related records

👉 These child records can typically be deleted by users with read/write access

Cascade Deletion (Projects Only)

Important:
When a project is deleted, a cascade deletion occurs:

• The project (parent record) is deleted
• All related child records are also deleted

Exceptions:

• Linked schedules are not deleted — they are unlinked only
• Any associated Microsoft 365 Group must be removed separately by an administrator

Portfolio and Program Limitation

Important:
Cascade deletion does not apply to Portfolios and Programs due to system limitations

When a Portfolio or Program is deleted:

• Child records (e.g. risks, issues, decisions, etc.) may remain
• These records become orphan records (no parent reference)

Managing Orphan Records

To identify and clean up orphan records:

1. Navigate to the relevant register under Work (e.g. Risks, Issues)
2. Select a view such as:
3. • All Active Risks
   • All Active Issues
3. Apply filters to identify records with:
4. • No Project
   • No Program
   • No Portfolio
4. Take action:
5. • Delete records, or
   • Update status (e.g. Archive), based on governance rules

Close vs Delete a Project

Tip:
In most cases, use Project Status = Closed or Completed instead of deleting the project.

Key Considerations

• Project deletion is irreversible
• Deletion should follow governance approval
• Child records are not independently protected
• Cascade deletion applies only to projects
• Additional cleanup may be required for portfolios/programs
• External components (e.g. M365 Groups) must be managed separately

Tips

• Confirm with stakeholders before deleting
• Use closure instead of deletion for completed work
• Review downstream impacts (reporting, financials, audit)
• Check for orphan records after deleting portfolios/programs