Lessons Learned and Project Achievements Templates
Marcellia KempAssociate Project Manager| OCMI INCGaithersburg, MD, United States
I was wondering if anyone would share a template you may have to collect Lessons Learned on Capital Maintenance project. Also, if you could share how you collect to report out achievements on your projects. Thanks. Saving Changes...
Rather than having a template for collecting lessons learned, try to put together a template for applying lessons learned.
It seems like a lot of information captured is not actionable, or it only applies to a specific point in time on a specific project. As a result, the list of lessons learned ends up in a repository and is never seen again because most of the information is not applicable to future projects.
I try to run lessons learned multiple times throughout a project - especially long projects. I publish my notes for all to review, but my main intent is capturing actionable items in the following categories:
1) immediate action is needed
2) action that needs taken in later phases/cycles of the current project
3) action that may need taken in other active projects
4) action that may be needed in a future project
Item 1 triggers varying responses - meetings, emails, phone calls, changes... depending on the action needed. Item 2 results in changes to the project plan, with needed approvals and subsequent notifications. Item 3 triggers notifications to the appropriate project managers/sponsors so that they can determine the appropriate course of action for their project(s). Item 4 goes on a checklist, split into process groups, that is actively monitored and updated.
Using Item 4 as an example, I'll review the checklist when I'm beginning to plan a project, and throughout the course of the project to check for changes that may affect my project.
The checklist is also reviewed, regularly, to determine if any items should be removed because they no longer apply. Saving Changes...
Peter RapinSubject Matter Expect; Project Delivery| Independent ConsultantOntario, Canada
I tend to tie lessons learned to the risk register. In the beginning you identify possible risks (and benefits), analyse, mitigate probabilities, plan mitigation measures. Risks may become issues and you implement the mitigation measures as may be required. Lessons learned comes from how well this all worked out and how it could have been done better. If the issue was not previously identified as a risk - there's your lesson. If the probability mitigation didn't work - there's a lesson. If the mitigation measures didn't work - there's another lesson. Lessons learned becomes a review of the risk management plan. Saving Changes...
Marcellia KempAssociate Project Manager| OCMI INCGaithersburg, MD, United States
Feb 21, 2022 11:14 AM
Replying to Thomas Walenta
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Marcellia,
there are several (approx 3000) artefacts in this website about lessons learned, and you may find something that is useful for your purpose.
In some projects, we had a LL register to gather LL events during the project and we could review those at the end. We also shared LLs during brown bag sessions to all interested PMs in the organization. If you want to track re-use of LL, this is another story, it has to be done centrally supported e.g. by a PMO and by a knowledge mgmt system (which is a program on its own).
As for LL sessions at the of a project, it is important to recognise the team members and key stakeholders (also from the client) - that is the human side. The technical side is - what you ask for - to review the project results, I normally use the last steering committee report as input, including original idea (charter, business case), sequence of major changes, risks materialised, final results, in terms of scope, schedule and cost. If you have customer sat, team morale and human highlights.
Then I often do a SWOT analysis with the audience to reflect on the project and highlight recommendations.
Hope this gives you some ideas.
Thomas
Thank you for sharing your article. It was very informative. I like how you related it to ethics and credibility. Saving Changes...
Marcellia KempAssociate Project Manager| OCMI INCGaithersburg, MD, United States
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