Learning Objectives

• Effectively run sessions aimed at gathering lessons learned.
• Understand how lessons learned statements transform from anecdotal statements to a process improvement action item, which is rolled out to the organization in the form of a best practice.
• Integrate best practices into work product templates, project process templates, project guidelines, training and other aspects of software development and management practices.

When Sir Francis Bacon wrote the phrase “Knowledge is power” back in 1597, he could have been talking about project management. After all, he founded the scientific method—a planned procedure and methodology for scientific investigations. Now here we are in 2009. In the era of the information age, why is it that project teams often seem uninformed? Why doesn't the knowledge of mistakes made on one project transfer to the next project?

The frank answer is that the gathering, analyzing, normalizing and accessing of lessons learned isn't as easy as it seems. Organizations typically do a good job at some of these endeavors, but not all. The most important aspect of putting lessons learned into practice is to translate the lessons learned statements into best practices that are incorporated into templates, processes and guidelines. Using brief film clips, this presentation will define and explore what the terms “lessons learned” and “best practice” mean and how to put them into practice at your organization.