Posted on by Prof. (Dr.) KIRAN KAKADE

After Action Review

What is an After Action Review?
It is a technique to evaluate and capture lessons learned upon the completion of a project. It allows project team members to discover for themselves what happened, why it happened, and how to sustain strengths and improve on weaknesses. It is structured as an informal discussion with the main team members of the project.An After Action Review can also be conducted at the completion of the project or any key milestones of a project that has a long duration.It is not a critique or a complaint session. AAR maximizes learning by offering a platform for leaders and members to honestly talk about the project. It is not a full-scale evaluation report.
Why conduct After Action Review?
The purpose of an After Action Review is to review the project outcomes vis-à-vis the intended outcomes of a project. The AAR is the basis for learning from project success and failures. It is the starting point for improvements in future projects. Team members can identify strengths and weaknesses and determine how to improve performance in the future by focusing on the desired outcome and describing specific observations.The project team can document the lessons learned and make it available to the rest of the organization to improve decision-making.
How to conduct an After Action Review? 
An After Action Review can be conducted as soon as possible upon completion of project or major project milestones.Generally the following discussion questions are used to build consensus on the lessons learned:What was expected to happen?What actually happened? What went well and why?What can be improved and how?What are the lessons that can be used in the future?At the start of the AAR, the facilitator should review the purpose and sequence of the AAR to ensure that everyone understands what an AAR is and how it works. The introduction should also include some ground rules for conducting and managing the discussion.  The role of the facilitator will be explained during the introduction.Some pointers for facilitators:It is permissible to disagree. Encourage members to provide honest opinionsUse open-ended questions to guide the discussionParaphrase and summarize key discussion pointsThe focus of the AAR is on learning i.e. identifying lessons learned rather than blaming individuals for wrong decisions or performance evaluation. Mistakes or poor decisions can be translated into learning opportunities.In order for this to happen, there must be an atmosphere of trust and openness.The discussion should ensure that specific issues are revealed, both positive and negative in nature. Skillful facilitation will ensure the AAR does not gloss over mistakes or weaknesses.In some projects, other stakeholders can provide useful insights and ideas to the review process. Before the review session, the facilitator or designated team member should consult with these outside stakeholders and then summarize the input for the AAR.The lessons learned are captured on a flip chart or electronically. This is dependent on who uses the information and how it is used. Flip charts are a convenient tool to make notes visible for all participating in the review and ensures a common understanding of and agreement to what has been discussed.Electronic capturing in the intranet enables reference later on and dissemination to relevant parties who are involved in similar projects.
Who should conduct an After Action Review
An independent facilitator can be used to conduct the AAR. A trained independent facilitator may be able to ensure participation from everyone. The facilitator will also be able to draw out insights and issues through probing questions.While an independent AAR facilitator could maintain objectivity throughout the review, it may be useful to enlist someone who is somewhat knowledgeable about the subject or topic of the review. That would minimize the learning curve and enable technical discussions to be carried out and recorded clearly.Alternatively, a project team member could facilitate the AAR. The team leader must ensure that all background materials are considered—reports, surveys, planning documents or other input. This will ensure that the AAR is complete, thorough, and appropriate

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