^ [[8 Closing Phase]] # 8.2  Lessons Learned and Post-Project Recommendations The purpose of formal Lessons Learned and Post-Project Recommendations is to make it possible for project teams and the permanent organisation at large to **benefit from the experience acquired** during the project. It is also important to capture **ideas** and **recommendations for post-project work** relating to the operation of the product/service delivered, such as extensions, maintenance and ideas for **follow-up projects**. **Note**: ==Improvement opportunities and Post-Project Recommendations should be captured== in some form as they come up ==during the project==. Otherwise, particularly in longer projects, the **ideas might get lost by the time the project reaches the Closing Phase**. There are many benefits to formalising Lessons Learned and Post-Project Recommendations. When project team members **share their perspectives and provide feedback it provides useful insights** that, the requestor/client side can use to **manage post-project activities more effectively**. ![[Table 8.2 - Lessons Learned and Post-Project Recommendations - Key Participants.png]] Because all projects are different, the Lessons Learned process **cannot be generic**. However, projects have common aspects, which can be discussed: project definition and planning (scope, deliverables, resources, etc.), project communication, project documentation, [[Change Control]], risk/issue management, decision- making, successes, mistakes and failures, team dynamics, overall project performance. ## Guidelines: - The **Lessons Learned session** should be a **part of the Project-End Review Meeting** (though ==separate sessions could be organised at the end of project phases or major milestones==). - It may be **preferable** to have the Lessons Learned session **facilitated by someone who has not been intimately involved in the project**, allowing the Project Manager (PM) to contribute as a participant. - The **discussion should be structured** (using project phases, categories of activities, etc. as the organisational principle) to **cover every aspect** of the project. - Improvement **ideas should be organised into groups** to help the team better visualize the appropriate next steps required to implement them. - In some cases, it could make sense to address the Lessons Learned over **multiple sessions, each devoted to a different topic** (technical issues, business implementation, etc.). - The Project Steering Committee (**PSC**) should be **invited** to the Lessons Learned session(s) as this will allow its members to transfer the Lessons Learned to other projects. ![[Table 8.2 - Lessons Learned and Post-Project Recommendations - RASCI.png]] ## Outputs - Project-End Report (PM2 Template) ___ Spanish Guide: [[8.2 Lecciones Aprendidas y Recomendaciones Post-Proyecto]] <-- [[8.1 Project-End Review Meeting]] --> [[8.3 Project-End Report]]