Purpose of Lessons Learned Meeting(s)
The purpose of a Lessons Learned meeting is to identify what was learned during the project/program. The lessons learned are derived by uncovering what project/program stakeholders believe was done well and what could have been done better.
The Lessons Learned meeting is typically held during the project closure process. However, for a larger project or program, meetings to collect lessons learned can be scheduled and completed at the completion of phases of project or program life cycle, or after particular milestones.
Depending upon scope and size of the project/program, a Lessons Learned meeting may be held after gathering feedback through a satisfaction survey. The meeting can be held with the entire project team, various stakeholder groups, and/or one-on-one individuals.
Suggested Lessons Learned Meeting Techniques
The techniques used in the lessons learned meeting will depend on the size of the group and the general sense of how the project/program went.
This chart is a suggested guideline on how to consider formatting the meeting(s).
| If group size is... | And... | Then identify what went well and what could be improved through... | And use the following technique... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (up to 8 people) | project generally went well | open round table discussion |
Ask what was done well and what could have been done better. Document the items on a white board or flip chart during the meeting and record in lessons learned report after. |
|
Small (up to 8 people) or Medium to Large (8-12 people) |
there were problems with the project/ program that need to be surfaced and/or some individuals may be less willing to speak out |
silent brainstorming (Note: for larger groups, or for projects/ programs known or suspected to have differing opinions, it is highly recommended that some preliminary data collection be done before the meeting, such as the satisfaction survey) |
Ask people to write down on a sticky note the top 3-5 things they believe went well, and the top 3-5 things that could be improved. Place the sticky notes on a flip chart or white board (one white board or flip chart for each category). Read the various items and work with the group to combine similar ideas (an Affinity Chart may be a good tool here) to determine lessons learned. |
| Large (more than 12 people) |
there were problems with the project/ program that need to be surfaced and/or some individuals may be less willing to speak out |
small group discussions followed by a debriefing discussion with the larger group (Note: for larger groups, or for projects/ programs known or suspected to have differing opinions, it is highly recommended that some preliminary data collection be done before the meeting, such as the satisfaction survey) |
Break the attendees into groups, provide them with a flip chart sheet to write on, or a section of white board and ask them to discuss what was done well, and what could have been done better. Ask each group to present back to the larger group. Work with the group to combine similar ideas. |
Tips for Facilitating Lessons Learned Meeting(s)
- ask questions to identify the actual processes behind what was done well or what could have been improved
- e.g. if stakeholders state that requirements were done well, ask questions to determine what process was used to gather and maintain requirements so that future projects can also take advantage of the process. A lesson learned may be that "requirements gathering works better when end users are involved up front and prototyping tools are used"
- it is recommended that a third party be engaged to facilitate lessons learned to encourage honest, open feedback and capture the lessons learned in an objective, unbiased way. PMO resources are available to facilitate lessons learned. Please submit a ticket to the PMO to request facilitation services.
- it is recommended that the meeting have no more than 12 participants
- if the facilitator knows up front there will be strong, opposing views, consider holding the lessons learned meetings independently with each group so the differing perspectives can be heard. Remember, the facilitator's goal is to listen and ensure all stakeholders feel they have been heard and capture the lessons learned in an unbiased way
- if lessons learned have been collected through the project/program, or if a satisfaction survey has already been conducted, share a summary of those results before the actual meeting
- ask participants to review project documentation such as project charter, change requests, scope, requirements, the RAID, et cetera to recall what happened during the project/program before coming to the meeting
- while it is important to document all of the lessons learned for the report, the meeting should focus more on the top 3-5 lessons when trying to gather more details about the process and how this lesson should be presented for future projects and programs
- the facilitator should approach the meeting with an open mind
- lessons learned meetings can get controversial. The facilitator should strive to keep the discussions at an issues level and avoid finger pointing. It may be helpful to remind everyone about the Basic Principles of the Workplace before the meeting begins
- when there is disagreement, ensure all viewpoints are heard
Next Steps
Summarize the lessons learned in a Lessons Learned Report. Some of the lessons learned may even be used towards assessing project/program success in the project/program closure report. Once the lessons learned report is complete, proceed to the Closure Report to close the project and share with others through a meeting with the PMO, presentations, and the document repository.