Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
Lessons learned: identified vs learned, and making them stick
A lesson identified is an evidenced conclusion that names a problem, its root cause and a course of action. It becomes a lesson learned only after a planned implementation has been completed and evaluated as successful. UK guidance adds a fourth step, embedding, so the change is retained over time.
From observation to lesson
The UK Lessons Management Best Practice Guidance is built on the Observation, Insight, Lesson Identified, Lesson Learned (OILL) method. It has four processes: identification, prioritisation, implementation and embedding.
Identification has six steps: capture, analyse, identify, validate, report and share. Using two or more collection methods, such as feedback forms and group debriefs, improves the credibility of a lesson. Analysis looks at the what and the why of an issue, not just the who, and searches for trends, themes and insights.
Validation asks people involved in the event to check the draft lessons. Done with openness to challenge, it guards against groupthink and builds buy-in. The post-event report then lists the lessons identified and their recommendations.
Prioritising lessons
Lessons are recorded in a lessons management register, each with a unique code, a learning theme and the risk it relates to. Each lesson can be scored for how likely the issue is to recur and how severe the impact would be if it did. A prioritisation matrix combines the two scores into priority levels.
Owners are then assigned. The organization that identified a lesson may not be the one that implements the action.
Implementing and embedding
Implementation runs lead, plan, act, monitor, evaluate and report. Plans can be structured with why, what, who, when, where and how (5W1H). People need capability, opportunity and motivation for behaviour to change: knowledge and skills, a supportive environment, and an understanding of the goal.
The guidance describes change as unfreeze, move and refreeze. Communicating the reasons supports the unfreeze, leading by example supports the move, and chances to practise and rehearse the new way support the refreeze.
Embedding keeps the change in place after implementation ends. Without it, people can revert to old ways and the learning erodes.
Where the exam catches people
- Believing a documented, validated lesson is a lesson learned: it is a lesson identified until implementation is completed and evaluated as successful.
- Believing analysis should focus on who made the mistake: it focuses on the what and the why.
- Believing implementation is the last step: embedding is needed so people do not revert to old ways.
- Believing training alone changes behaviour: people also need opportunity and motivation.
- Believing the team that identified a lesson must implement it: implementation owners may be different.