Trialling an Appreciative Inquiry Approach for Successful Lessons Learned in Projects

  Lessons Learned   Knowledge Shelf  

The review and analysis of lessons learned is an important part of the project methodology of any organization. At the completion of various project phases, analysis of the lessons learned provides an opportunity for team members to reflect and identify what worked and what did not in the project. This information then allows project and operational management to identify process improvements and plan for changes.

There are two primary issues with evaluating lessons learned using the traditional problem-focused approach, or deficit model, where key problems and issues are identified, solutions are analyzed, and recommendations are made for action to be taken.

First, the exercise can be of limited value because the focus is only on problems and few, if any, tangible solutions are offered. Second, the organization or project management may not be able to act on any solutions offered due to a variety of factors, including financial, resourcing, or authority constraints.

Jeff Jorvig (2008) refers to “The Lessons Learned Lie.” He states, “An organization is living the lessons learned lie if:

• They believe the pure existence of 'lessons learned' implies the development process is being optimized.
• They do not allocate time/resources to fix lesson findings.
• They have no specific, traceable actions from each lesson."

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