During a project the team should document the lessons they have learned whether positive or negative. For example a note that a task took longer than estimated or that new process reduced costs. stakeholdermap.comThe oompleted log will help other project teams and can be added to an organization wide knowledge base.
This is a FREE Lesson Learned Template in Excel and PDF. The template is fully editable with Excel and can be edited to suit your requirements. See what is in the Template! Check out the a contents.
Example - four real world lessons learned
| ID | Date raised | Event (what happened) | RAG | Early warning signs? | Recommendations | Action(s) | Owner | WBS ID | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21/03/2025 | API integration testing was not included in the original QA test plan, resulting in a late discovery of a failed connection during UAT. | Negative | No API-related test cases were visible in the QA test schedule. | Ensure all integrations are explicitly listed in QA scope and include end-to-end connectivity testing. | Update QA checklist and test plan template; inform PMO. | Project Manager | 2.13.003 API Connector | Closed |
| 2 | 05/03/2025 | Agreeing defect severity ratings in advance prevented delays by allowing cosmetic issues to be fixed post go-live. | Positive | Early UAT discussions showed uncertainty about which defects were blocking. | Define and document defect severity levels during project initiation. | Share lesson with PMO and update initiation documentation. | Project Manager | 3.1 UAT | In progress |
| 3 | 18/04/2025 | Stakeholder unavailability during final sign-off caused a delay to formal approval. | Negative | Low attendance at status meetings and slow review responses. | Confirm stakeholder availability for key milestones and assign deputies. | Update project plan and escalate availability risks earlier. | Project Manager | 1.2 Governance | Closed |
| 4 | 02/05/2025 | Weekly demos improved stakeholder understanding and reduced late change requests. | Positive | Early demo feedback highlighted misunderstandings. | Continue using regular demos as standard practice. | Add weekly demos to delivery approach guidance. | Project Manager | 1.4 Stakeholder Engagement | Closed |
The contents of the Lessons Learned Template
Project name
The title or name of the project.Project number
Your organization's unique ID or reference number for the project.Project manager
The name of the person who will be managing the project.Project sponsor
The ultimate owner of the success or failure of the project. The ultimate decision maker.Lesson ID
The unique number of ID for each lesson.Date raised
The date the lesson was identified.Event (what happened)
A clear and detailed description of what happened. We tend to assume that the lessons learned on a project will be negative. However, they can also be positive, for example a new idea or process that worked well.Lesson category
The category: Positive or Negative.Early warning signs?
Any warning signs that could be picked up and acted on in future.Recommendations
Recommendation for improvement or to remove the issue for future projects.Action(s)
Actions that will be taken to implement the lesson learned.Owner
Person who will take the action(s).WBS ID
A link to the WBS ID if applicable..Status
The status of the lesson for example: open, in progress or closed.Lessons Learned Log Download
Excel .xlsx download - LESSONS Learned TEMPLATE (.xlsx)
Excel .xls download - LESSONS Learned TEMPLATE (.xls)
OpenDocument Spreadsheet - LESSONS Learned TEMPLATE (.ods)
PDF download - LESSONS Learned TEMPLATE (PDF)
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