VP/CIO PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Guideline: Lessons Learned
Purpose: The process of identifying and documenting the learning
gained during the project.
Last Modified Date:
October 31, 2011
Lessons Learned provides an opportunity for reflection after the project has been completed. It is useful
to reflect on what worked well with the project and what could be improved upon. The Lessons Learned
are stored with the other project documents and available for review in the future.
Once the project has been completed, a Lessons Learned discussion should be scheduled with
representatives from the project team and representatives from the project stakeholders to discuss
what was learned from this project. Groups that are frequently included in a Lessons Learned session
are: stakeholders, users, customers, governance, and vendors. Lessons Learned can be identified at any
time during the project. Some areas perform Lessons Learned as the project progresses. The Project
Manager may coordinate the Lessons Learned session or the User Experience and Engagement group
offers a service to facilitate the Lessons Learned conversation. Please contact Terry Lockard at
twl5b@virginia.edu to have a facilitator assigned. Below are some suggestions for establishing ground
rules for the Lessons Learned session.
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The Landscape of Conversation is a useful tool – keep comments grounded in “What’s so”; do
not exaggerate, rationalize, criticize, or blame.
Every view point is important and we may not all see the project the same way. That’s a good
thing.
There is no right or wrong, just how we experience it.
Practice active listening and ask clarifying questions.
Define the project. What are we discussing today?
Starting with what worked well can help the session get started.
Make sure someone takes notes.
Below are sample Lessons Learned questions that participants in the Lessons Learned discussion may
wish to review in advance of the meeting.
Sample Lessons Learned Questions
1. What worked well and did not work well on your project? Or what would you do differently, if
you were able to start the project over? What project circumstances were not anticipated?
2. How did you communicate about your project with your customers, project team, and
management? What worked well and what would you do differently next time?
3. What changes to scope, to costs, to resources, and/or to the schedule occurred during the
project? What did you learn from this? How were project resources estimated, as well as the
project schedule? How were these documented and communicated to the project
stakeholders?
4. Did you speak with anyone else about the project or use lessons learned to get information
VP/CIO PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Guideline: Lessons Learned
Purpose: The process of identifying and documenting the learning
gained during the project.
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Last Modified Date:
October 31, 2011
about similar project efforts, similar user groups, etc.? If so, was it beneficial?
Did you join the project after it was under way as opposed to being on the project from the
beginning? If so, what approaches worked well for you under this circumstance?
How were project risks identified, communicated, and resolved?
Do you have comments on any of the following items that were used on your project:
checklists, vendor issues, new skills acquired, security issues, etc.?
Have you done a post-project review for the project? Please describe the review and what
worked well and what did not work well.
Are there things about the technology, the organization (how we work), the project, etc. that
others might benefit from knowing?
Other?