Lessons learned

Lessons learned

Lessons learned is knowledge derived from the implementation and evaluation of a program utilised to identify the strengths and weaknesses of programme design and implementation. This information is helpful in modifying and improving programmes and project management in the future.

Capturing lessons learned is an integral part of every project and could be used as part of new project planning for similar projects in order to determine what problems occurred and how those problems were handled and may be avoided in the future. This document details what went well with the project and why, so that other project managers may capitalize on these actions. While the finalization of a formal lessons learned document is completed during the project closeout process, capturing lessons learned should occur throughout the project lifecycle to ensure all information is documented in a timely and accurate manner. The lessons learned document also serves as a valuable tool for use by other project managers within an organization who are assigned similar projects. This document should not only describe what went wrong during a project and suggestions to avoid similar occurrences in the future, but it should also describe what went well and how similar projects may benefit from this information.

Everything learned from previous projects, whether they were successes or failures can teach a project manager important lessons. And individual project managers usually do learn from their own previous experiences, but are these "lessons learned" shared with others within the project team or within the same organisation? If they are shared, do other project managers apply the lessons to their own projects? If lessons were genuinely learned from past projects then the same mistakes would not be repeated on different projects.

Monitoring and Evaluation constitute a separate activity in each programme/project and must be planned well. In order to make corrective measures, it is important that the information emerging from monitoring is analysed at the end of each project year. This exercise of analysing monitoring information is called monitoring review. The objective of monitoring review is to empower staff in delivering programmes effectively. The learning that emerges from a monitoring review must be integrated into current programme implementation. In order that the learning become integrated into new programming, the information must be shared, among the wider programme team, during country learning reviews usually held every alternate year.

Template: Lessons learned report

Le lezioni apprese

I risultati della valutazione sono di due tipi:

i giudizi espressi sulle attività del progetto, la loro rilevanza, efficacia, efficienza, impatto e sostenibilità;

le lezioni apprese, ossia ciò che il progetto ha permesso di imparare

a proposito del settore d'intervento,
riguardo il modo di progettare e valutare in quel settore.

Quando sono articolate in moda da suggerire esplicitamente migloramenti di procedure o la diffusione di nuovi criteri etici o standard di qualità di servizio, le lezioni apprese vengono definite "raccomandazioni".

I risultati della valutazione, ed in particolare le lezioni apprese, vengono utilizzati dal decisore pubblico per scegliere, correggere, giudicare gli interventi pubblici programmati, in corso di realizzazione o una volta conclusi.

In una istituzione matura, la valutazione delle attività realizzate costituisce la fonte di conoscenza primaria per la programmazione delle attività a venire.