The difference between lessons learned and project history

If your organization keeps good project history archives, you have the inside track on how to plan a new project and what to avoid. But what about the “Lessons Learned?” How are they different from project history?

Project history and archives

If you’ve got project history and archives available, they should contain all the documentation that was created for the completed project. Those documents include the scope documents, project plan and its iterations, meeting minutes, action item logs, change management logs, risk management docs, budget documentation, closing papers and anything else related to the project. This archive includes the Lessons Learned document.

In many organizations, there is not one location on the network where this documentation is kept. If there is a PMO, the paperwork should reside with them. It should not be solely on any one person’s computer or network share.

All project managers in the organization should have access to the project archives. Many companies develop a historical database for these documents.

Lessons Learned

PMI defines lessons learned documentation as “The causes of variances, the reasoning behind the corrective action chosen, and other types of lessons learned from control quality are documented so they become part of the historical database for both the project and the performing organization.”  (PMBOK, 5th Edition, pg. 254.)

Lessons learned are part of the historical record of the project, but not the entire record. The Lessons Learned document focuses on those activities, tasks, or deliverables that didn’t go to plan and the resolution. Perhaps a delivery was delayed due to a freak snowstorm and the team needed to replan their testing phase to accommodate the delay. The lessons learned documentation should describe the situation, how it was handled, and how it could be avoided or the impact minimized in the future.

For example, I worked for a company that seemed to love reorganizing every few months. After accommodating this situation, I added the issue to the lessons learned archive and made suggestions for how to mitigate the situation.  Lessons learned was part of the history of my projects, but certainly not the entire picture.

Part of the project manager’s job is to document the project as it progresses. For many, this is not the fun part of the job. If you have a willing team member, give them the assignment. Update the historical record and lessons learned every week or so to ensure the issues and solutions don’t get forgotten. Then you’ll have a complete historical record when the project is over.

If you’d like a copy of the Lessons Learned Log, click the button.

Click to get the Lessons Learned Log.

If you’re interested in the .xlsx version of the template, send me an email and I’ll send it to you.