The Basics of Project Evaluation and Lessons Learned

How do you determine if your project was a success (beyond being within budget and completed on time)? How do you determine the impact of a project? How do you capture valuable knowledge from a current or past project to enhance future programs? The answer to all three questions is through project lessons learned. Although lessons learned provide invaluable information for determining the success or failure of projects, a systematic method for conducting lessons learned is critical to the ongoing success of your projects, programs, and portfolios. The Basics of Project Evaluation and Lessons Learned details an easy-to-follow approach for conducting lessons learned on any project, in any organization. Whether your job entails running small projects from a home-based business or managing large projects as a part of an international supply chain, this book will be of great benefit. It outlines a well-indexed strategy to capture, categorize, and control lessons based on best practices. Reinforcing the project standards as outlined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK(R)) published by the Project Management Institute (PMI(R)), the book incorporates the five Project Management Process Groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring/Controlling and Closing). It also integrates the nine Project Management Knowledge Areas--Communications, Cost, Human Resources, Integration, Procurement, Quality, Risk, Scope and Time. Synthesizing essential concepts of project evaluation and lessons learned into an easy-to-follow process, the book: * Outlines a practical 10-step process for conducting effective lessons learned * Includes a wealth of project job aids, including templates, checklists, forms, and a Project Evaluation Resource Kit (PERK) on the accompanying CD * Is supported by a comprehensive website at http://www.lessonslearned.info Based on more than a decade of research supported by renowned experts in the field of evaluation, this practical guide delivers the necessary resources for active engagement. It introduces innovative concepts, improved models, and highlights important considerations to help you gain a multi-dimensional perspective of project evaluation in the context of lessons learned.

Table of Contents:

Project Management Overview
What is a Project?
Why Project Management
Who is a Project Manager?
Where are the Boundaries of Project Management?
How do Programs and Portfolios Differ?
Who is a Lessons Learned Project Team Member?
Which Project Organization?
What PMO?

Foundations of Evaluation
Evaluation Approaches and Models
Classifications of Evaluations
What is Component Evaluation?
How does Summative and Formative Evaluation Differ?
How does Descriptive Knowledge and Evaluative Knowledge Differ?
What is Tacit and Explicit Knowledge?
What is DIKUD CONTINUUM?

Origins of Lessons Learned in Project Management
What are Lessons Learned?
How are Lessons Learned Used?
How should Lessons Learned be Conducted?
Is Intra-project Learning Feasible?
Is Conducting Lessons Learned Worth the Investment?

Challenges with Lessons Learned
Ten concerns Organizations Experience with Lessons Learned
Identifying Lessons Learned
Collecting Lessons Learned
Facilitating Lessons Learned
Analyzing Lessons Learned
Documenting Lessons Learned
Maintaining Lessons Learned
Distributing Lessons Learned
Presenting Lessons Learned
Applying Lessons Learned
Managing Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned Tools and Techniques
Tools
Techniques

Best Practices and Benchmarking
What are Really Best Practices?
How do Good, Better and Best Practices Apply to Lessons Learned?
What is Benchmarking?
What Scales Can be used for Benchmarking?

Lessons Learned Case Studies
NASA
CALVIN
Kentucky Transportation System
Bellcore
Hurricane Katrina

Real Life Lessons Learned Scenarios
Supply Chain Management
Human Resource Management
Learning Management
Information Technology

Advancing Lessons Learned through Evaluation
Re-evaluation
Meta-evaluation
Meta-analysis
Performance Needs Assessment
SWOT Analysis
ADDIE
DMAIC

Implementing a Lessons Learned System
How do You Determine System Requirements
How can You Configure a Repository
How do You Establish a LL Community of Practice

Appendix A: Glossary
Appendix B: References

"... offers a solid grounding for the study of project evaluation techniques and tools and serves as a high-level overview of the terms, concepts, and techniques required. It also features a rich group of references, resources, definitions, and graphics to clarify ideas and concepts. An included CD contains a project evaluation resource kit with documentation for evaluating projects and performing ongoing maintenance on project lessons. It includes contract examples, job aids, guidelines, procedures, forms, checklists, report designs, diagrams, presentations, and more. The kit alone is worth the price of the book."
—Karl M. Kapp, EdD, CFPIM, CIRM, Bloomsburg University, writing in APICS magazine, September/October 2012

"… is an easy-to-understand guide to evaluating one's projects and the resulting lessons learned. Thomas gives readers the tools to examine the impact of projects, evaluate knowledge learned from past projects, and determine if a project actually was a success. This book combines many best practices in an easy-to-follow process and incorporates the five project management groups-initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, and closing. It is ideal for anyone managing a project, from a small program in a not-for-profit organization to a large venture in a multinational corporation."
—T & D, November 2012