As anyone who has attended project manager courses knows, project management is the process of planning, monitoring and then overseeing a project. When the project is reaching its closure the project manager uses a post-project review in order to evaluate the success of the team. This allows them to see those areas where improvements could be made in the future. Project analysis is an important strategy, and one that should not be rushed. It can be essential in not only improving efficiency but also in helping with the plan of future projects.
What is the purpose of a post-project review?
The main purpose of the post-project review is to analyse the processes used during a project. Those things that went well can be used to help with future projects whilst those things that didn’t go well are worthy of a closer look in order to determine how they could be improved for future projects. It can be used in the following ways:
· Find the most effective processes which can be used for future projects
· Find areas for improvement through the analysis of challenging steps and areas to see where improvements can be made for future projects
· Identify individual accomplishments and strengths so that the project manager can highlight these in order to celebrate with the team
How should you prepare for your post-project review?
It is important to consider the following when you prepare for your post-project review:
· Select a facilitator –Whilst there is no reason a project manager cannot complete the post-project review, facilitators not associated with the project may give more objective feedback.
· Create a trusting and transparent environment – You need to make sure you are gathering accurate and honest information from your team. It is important to explain the evaluation process to your team to help them feel more comfortable.
· Think about having a post-project meeting – A closure meeting can be a good idea to allow people to share their thoughts and feedback on the project.
What should you include in a post-project review?
Experts such as those at Parallel Project Training believe that it is sometimes a good idea to customise the elements that you have in your post-project review. This will help you to better meet the needs of your project and organisation. In general, a good project review will include:
· The name of the project and summary
· Details of team members including their contact details – this will help you get in touch if you have more questions, or if you want to give specific feedback to one team member
· The expected outcomes and the actual outcomes – you should have a list of the planned outcomes and objectives and a comparison to the actual outcomes. A brief summary is also helpful
· Transition notes – these will detail how you moved the project to the next stage (in industries where a project moves from one team to another this can be a very important step).
· Project expenses – you should compare the expenses you planned for against the actual costs of the project.
· Project milestones and schedule – you can list all the planned milestones of your project and their completion dates, alongside the actual completion dates.
· Recommendations – this section is important; you can list any recommendations that there might be for future projects and for the company. There may also be areas in future projects that you may want to change.