The document outlines the importance of establishing a successful lessons learned program to mitigate costly rework in projects, highlighting direct and indirect costs associated with errors. It references standards from PMI, ISO 9001, and ISO 30401, emphasizing the need for a complete lesson learning cycle and effective knowledge management systems. Key barriers to success include inadequate tools, lack of motivation, and insufficient resources, while only a small percentage of organizations have effective lessons learned processes.

1. How to develop and operate a successful
Lessons Learned Program
as an important Organizational Process Asset
Behnam Bashokooh
MBA PMP CEng

2. Agenda
• Size of the problem of not learning from lessons
• Lessons Learned in PMI PMBoK, ISO 9001 and 30401
• Complete lesson learning cycle
• Key differentiators of a successful program
• Five pillars of an effective program
• Why motivation is important?

3. Size of the problem
“direct costs due to rework with the
actual range being between 4.03% and
6.05% with a median value of 5.04%”
“should be adjusted by a factor of 1.8
to account for indirect costs incurred as
a result of direct rework costs revising
the range of total rework cost 7.25% to
10.89% with a median value of 9.07%”
Source:
Navigant Construction Forum™
£5.6Billion
estimated loss
due to rework
in 2018 alone
Source:
Office for national statistics
£113Billion
2018 construction output
Public and Private Sectors
Great Britain
Cost of Rework, UK

4. Social Loss
£16,874 average cost of new school development per pupil place
Source: Department for Education
6600
pupils
£5.6Billion
estimated loss
due to rework
in 2018 alone
=

5. Causes of Rework
• Rework is mainly due to Errors and Changes *
• Waste is in all sectors, not only construction
(*) Source: Quantitative Analysis of Magnitude of Rework by Project Types and Sources of Rework

6. Social Loss is
mind-blowing!
A big part of the solution is a
complete and effective
Lessons Learned program

7. Lessons Learned in
PMI PMBoK
Organizational Process Assets
(OPAs) include Lessons Learned
from previous projects.
Organizational Knowledge
Repositories include
Lessons Learned Register.
Source:
PMI PMBoK 6th Edition – Figure 4-6

8. Lessons Learned in
ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems Requirements
“Organizational Knowledge can be based on … Lessons Learned from
failures and successful projects…”
“This knowledge shall be maintained and be made available to the extent necessary.”
Source:
BSI BS EN ISO 9001 - Quality Management Systems - Requirements

9. Lessons Learned in
ISO 30401:2018 Knowledge Management Systems Requirements
“The organizational knowledge management system shall include and integrate
elements of all the following enablers to create an effective knowledge management system:
• Processes: defined knowledge activities applied and embedded within organizational processes...
... Example enablers include … lessons learned from failures and success.”
Source:
BSI BS EN ISO 30401 - Knowledge Management Systems - Requirements

10. Survey Question 1
• Does your organization implement a Lessons Learned program?
Choices:
a) Yes
b) We are introducing one
c) Not any more
d) No

11. Survey Question 2
• If your organization has a Lessons Learned program, do you find it
effective?
Choices:
a) Not at all effective
b) Slightly effective
c) Moderately effective
d) Good
e) Very good
f) Excellent

12. Effective Lessons Learned
programs are Rare!
Organisations with a lessons learned process
Satisfaction with lessons learned processes
Source:
The Lessons Learned Handbook - Practical Approaches to Learning from Experience
76%
of companies
have NO solution
60%
of companies
with a solution
do NOT consider it
as effective
+ 76%
60%

13. Complete
Lessons Learning
Cycle
Capture
Approve
Share
Learn
Apply
Feedback
Lesson
Learning
Cycle
CAPTURE
REUSE
Source:

14. Key Differentiators
of a successful program
Source:

15. Five pillars of an effective program *
Roles Work Process Tools Governance Motivation
& Culture
(*) Confirms to the Knowledge Management Enablers advised by BSI BS EN ISO 30401 - Knowledge Management Systems Requirements

16. Main barriers to success
according to a case study
Lack of
• proper IT tools
• trustworthy lessons
• motivation
• time and resources
Source:
Dissemination and Communication of Lessons Learned for Project-Based Business
with the Applications of Information Technology: a Case Study with a British Manufacturer

17. Why motivation is important?
Vitamin Pain Killer
or
Lessons learned program is more like a vitamin
• no quick results, usually
• needs trust and perseverance to create value

18. Thank you
https://www.linkedin.com/in/behnam-bashokooh/