LECCIONES APRENDIDAS en Proyectos 📝 ¿Cómo documentar Lecciones Aprendidas? | EJEMPLOS

Main ideas and lessons conveyed

• What “lessons learned” are: Knowledge gained through reflection on experiences during a project; experiences can be positive or negative.
• Why lessons learned matter:
  • Identify success factors for future projects
  • Identify deficiencies in project execution
  • Detect and solve problems occurring in projects
  • Improve future decision-making
  • Serve as a model for other decisions
  • Most importantly, save time and money by showing what to repeat and what not to repeat
• Key clarification: Lessons learned are not recommendations.
  • Recommendations come later, after lessons are identified and analyzed.
• Scope and organizational value: Documenting lessons learned is framed as a good organizational practice that can apply not only to projects but also to processes/services within the organization.
• Methodological foundation: The process relies on systematic, collective reflection, with participation from project team members and stakeholders.

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Methodology to document lessons learned (structured stages & instructions)

1) Preparation for lessons-learned sessions

• Run lessons-learned identification continuously throughout the project execution, especially:
  • When project milestones are reached
  • At the closing of a phase or end of a sprint
  • At project closure
• Choose one of two modalities:
  • Face-to-face:
    • Meeting room
    • Blackboard/board
    • Pens
    • Post-it notes
  • Virtual:
    • Video conferencing application
    • Electronic whiteboard
    • Anonymous survey
• Invite key stakeholders / team members to participate, considering:
  • The session must be led by a PMO member or the project leader
  • If the team is large, reduce participation by:
    • Fewer people, or
    • Breakout by specific topics, or
    • Grouping by localities/areas

2) Execution of sessions (consensus on what counts as a lesson)

• For each evaluated project “key aspect/theme,” participants identify:
  • Which practices should be repeated
  • Which practices should not be repeated
• Example of a theme: how risks were managed—participants decide what risk-management practices should/should not be repeated.
• Collect inputs anonymously (recommended):
  • Face-to-face: provide each participant with post-its for “repeat” vs “do not repeat”
  • Virtual: use an anonymous survey prepared in advance
    • Example given for creating surveys is Google Forms
• After inputs are collected, perform consensus and documentation readiness:
  • Review proposed practices one by one
  • Determine which practices have consensus to be included in the lesson log

3) Documentation in the lesson log (lesson identification)

• Once consensus is reached:
  • Record the practices in the lesson log
  • Preserve anonymity using:
    • Anonymous post-its (in-person), or
    • Anonymous survey results (virtual)
• Where to document (recommended tool):
  • Use a public knowledge management tool within the organization
  • Rationale: future members can quickly determine what to repeat/not repeat, reducing time and cost

4) Organize/classify the documented lessons learned

• In the knowledge tool, classify lessons by multiple dimensions, such as:
  • Repeatable vs not repeatable
  • Themes
  • Types of projects
  • Other available classification schemes
• Include project metadata, including:
  • Project name
  • Project code (if any)
  • Date executed
  • Project leader
  • Additional relevant project information
• Most important documentation requirement:
  • Include links to documents or information that illustrate the practice used
  • Purpose: enable reflection and provide concrete references for future execution

5) Identify metrics and then develop recommendations (later stage)

• After lessons are documented and organized, identify metrics such as:
  • Metrics at project / portfolio / program level
  • Categories or classifications by year, unit, etc.
• Use the analysis/compilation of metrics to produce recommendations for:
  • Improving project management practices
  • Improving organizational processes
  • Possible development by a PMO

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Examples provided in the video

Examples of “lessons learned” that should be repeated

• Participation of a multidisciplinary team
• Disposition of the testing schedule
• Decisions involving teams management
• Management of resistance to change
• Use of conflict management techniques

Guidance/example for how to phrase lessons learned

• Suggests lessons should start with the substantiation of the verb (i.e., structured starting point with an action/verb phrase), using the examples as inspiration.

Examples of “lessons learned” that should NOT be repeated

• Omission of some key scenarios
• Absence of a demo of the module for functional users
• Lack of an impact prevention report for a specific aspect of the project
• Lack of standardization of concepts and terminology

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Speakers / sources featured

• Johana López (speaker/host)
• Mentions of organizational roles: PMO (Project Management Office) and project leaders (no specific individuals named)
• Mentioned tool/source example: Google Forms (example for virtual anonymous surveys)