Project Design Monitoring and Evaluation

eCourse: Project Design, Monitoring and Evaluation
Introduction A course on the principles,

methods, practices and skills required for
Lesson 6 successful project management
PROJECT
DESIGN
MONITORING
EVALUATION
MODULE 3
LEARNING PHASE
Published by: PM4DEV
Project Management
for Development
Email: info@pm4dev.com
WEB: www.pm4dev.com
© PM4DEV - 2018 1
LESSON 6
PROJECT LEARNING
Learning Objectives:
• Understand the value of continuous

learning.
• Identify the benefits of reflective
practice.
• Describe the process to conduct a
lessons learned session.
• List the elements of the after action
PROJECT DESIGN
MONITORING and
review.
EVALUATION
Welcome to lesson 6 – The Learning Project. The learning objectives of this

lesson are:
• Understand the value of continuous learning.

• Identify the benefits of reflective practice.
• Describe the process to conduct a lessons learned session.
• List the elements of the after action review.
© PM4DEV - 2018 2
LESSON 6
PROJECT LEARNING
Lesson Units
• Unit 6.1 – The Learning Project

• Unit 6.2 – Learning Cycle
• Unit 6.3 – Reflective Process
• Unit 6.4 – Lessons Learned
• Unit 6.5 – After Action Review
• Unit 6.6 – Learning Principles
PROJECT DESIGN
MONITORING and
EVALUATION
This lesson consist of the following units:
• Unit 6.1 – The Learning Project

• Unit 6.2 – Learning Cycle
• Unit 6.3 – Reflective Process
• Unit 6.4 – Lessons Learned
• Unit 6.5 – After Action Review
• Unit 6.6 – Learning Principles
The total time of this lesson is about 60 minutes.
© PM4DEV - 2018 3
LESSON 6
PROJECT LEARNING
END OF UNIT
PROJECT DESIGN
MONITORING and
EVALUATION
© PM4DEV - 2018 4
eCourse - Project Design, Monitoring and Evaluation
A course on the principles,

successful project management
PROJECT
DESIGN
MONITORING
EVALUATION
Lesson 6 – Unit 1
Project Management
for Development
WEB: www.pm4dev.com
© PM4DEV 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
Lesson 6, unit 1
© PM4DEV - 2018 1
The Learning
Project
Project Design
Monitoring and Evaluation
www.pm4dev.com
The Learning Project
© PM4DEV - 2017 2
The Learning Phase 3
• What happened?
• What did we learn?
• How we can improve?
• What lessons did we
learn?
The final phase in the DME cycle is learning. This phase focuses on the
practice of continuous learning, not just as a final activity in the project, but as
a process that occurs during the life of the project. Learning in the DME Cycle
is a moment of reflection, where the project team and key stakeholders take a
time to reflect on the past actions and learn. The questions the team will ask
include:
• What happened?
• What did we learn?
• How we can improve?
• What lessons did we learn?
But answering these questions is not straight forward, the project manager
needs to create the right environment and provide the right incentives to get
the best answers possible. The success of this effort ensures that the project
can benefit from the lesson learned and continuously improve the project. The
lesson learned will also help key stakeholders, partners and similar projects.
© PM4DEV - 2018 3
Learning from Evaluations 4
• The application of the evaluation results to

current or new projects is one of the main
purposes of evaluation.
• All evaluation efforts are wasted if there is
no change.
An important source of opportunities to learn and improve the project comes

from the application of the evaluation recommendations on the current or new
projects, this is one of the main purposes of the evaluation. All the evaluation
efforts are wasted if there is no change. That is an important message. The
project can have a very good evaluation report, the evaluator could have done
it on time, on budget, providing excellent reports, but if the organization or the
project does not take action and incorporate those recommendations and
improve and produce changes, then there is no value behind the evaluation. It
just becomes a document. The idea is that, out of that document and other
evaluations, there are opportunities to learn that the organization and the
project can take advantage in the next cycle.
© PM4DEV - 2018 4
Learning Opportunities 5
• Concept
• Design
• Planning
• Monitoring
• Evaluation
• Learning
Opportunities for improvement are not necessarily in one or two areas, they
must happen in every one of the DME phases. During each phase there are
questions that can lead to improvements.
• During the concept phase. Where there opportunities for a better analysis of
the proposed project that could have helped come out with a better
decision?
• In the design phase. How did the participation of the beneficiaries helped
design the project and understanding of the context and assumptions?
• During planning. Did the plans take into account all the constraints that exist
in the environment so that the plan is realistic and flexible to accommodate
the changes?
• In the monitoring phase. Did the project collect enough data to help make
sound decisions, or did it just spend too much money on collecting data and
it wasn’t used?
• In the evaluation phase. Did the project get the right consultants? Did they
come up with the right recommendations that can help the project or future
projects?
• Even the learning phase creates opportunities for improvements. How good
© PM4DEV - 2018 5
is the team at incorporating learnings in the project? How good is the

organization at incorporating learning into the DME processes? Can future
projects benefit from this continuous input of ideas and recommendations?
© PM4DEV - 2018 5
Learning Cycle 6
DESIGN
EVALUATION MONITORING
The DME cycle is actually a learning cycle. There are multiple opportunities in
each one of these phases to learn through an action and reflection process.
Each phase is an opportunity to analyze what happened, what went wrong,
and what can be done to fix it. Learning is not limited to one phase, but is the
glue that binds all the phases together.
© PM4DEV - 2018 6
The Learning Project 7
1. Continuously learns
and adapts
2. Learns in partnership
3. Shares learning to
amplify impact
What is a learning project? Learning is the process through which information

generated from M&E is reflected upon and intentionally used to continuously
improve a project’s ability to achieve results.
• A learning project is one that has incorporated learning as a key strategy to
continuously learn and adapt.
• Learning is not done in isolation but in partnership with key stakeholders.
• An important characteristic of a learning project is that learning is shared
with partners and other organizations to amplify the impact.
© PM4DEV - 2018 7
Continuously learns and adapts 8
• Complex and dynamic context

• Continuous feedback and learning
• Use data to inform and adapt
Why we need learning? Development projects operate in complex and

uncertain conditions where the context is always changing. Making progress in
this context requires continuous feedback process and timely use of insights to
inform and adapt the implementation strategies.
By placing and emphasis on continuous improvement, the project recognizes

that all plans and strategies are likely to require adaptation as it learns about
what works, what can be improved, and want needs to change. Every plan
incorporates feedback loops for tracking progress of the objectives. Learning is
not a one time event, it is built in the fabric of the project operations.
© PM4DEV - 2018 8
Learns in partnership 9
• Learning is not done in isolation

• Participation of key stakeholders
• Build the learning capacity of partners
In a learning project, learning is not done in isolation, it requires the

participation of key stakeholders. From donors to beneficiaries, all participate
in the learning process. The project seeks opportunities to build the learning
capacity of key partners who will use their new skills during the life of the
project and beyond.
© PM4DEV - 2018 9
Shares learning 10
• Shares lessons with partners,

beneficiaries and donors
• Sharing increase the value of learning
• Constantly seeks opportunities to share
A learning project shares lessons with partners, beneficiaries, and donors. By

sharing learning, the value of the lesson increases. And the project
continuously seeks opportunities to share what has learned and that amplifies
the impact beyond the project.
© PM4DEV - 2018 10
The Learning Project 11
A learning project is a project that has built a process for anticipating, reacting
and responding to change, complexity and uncertainty. It actively creates,
captures, transfers, and mobilizes knowledge to adapt to a changing
environment.
© PM4DEV - 2018 11
Project Design, Monitoring and Evaluation 12
END OF UNIT
© PM4DEV - 2018 12

PROJECT
DESIGN
MONITORING
EVALUATION
Lesson 6 – Unit 2
Project Management
for Development
WEB: www.pm4dev.com
© PM4DEV 2018
Lesson 6, unit 2
© PM4DEV - 2018 1
The Learning
Cycle
Project Design
www.pm4dev.com
The Learning Cycle
© PM4DEV - 2017 2
The Learning Cycle 3
One of the challenges of many development organizations is how to

incorporate learning in the project management process. Learning should not
be limited to a lesson learned session at the end of the project but should be
occur during the life of the project. For learning to be effective it needs to be
incorporated in all phases of the DME cycle.
© PM4DEV - 2018 3
Kolb’s Learning Cycle 4
“Learning is the process whereby knowledge

is created through the transformation of
experience”
David Kolb
David Kolb developed a learning model. He states that learning involves the
acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied in a range of situations. In
Kolb’s theory, the drive for the development of new concepts is provided by
new experiences.
© PM4DEV - 2018 4
Kolb’s Learning Cycle 5
• Concrete Experience
• Reflective Observation
• Abstract Conceptualization
• Active Experimentation
Kolb's learning theory is represented by a four-stage learning cycle. These

stages are concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract
conceptualization and active experimentation. This model can be applied to a
development project, where the team and key stakeholders can participate in
the learning process.
© PM4DEV - 2018 5
Concrete Experience 6
A new experience or
situation is encountered,
or a reinterpretation of
existing experience.
The first stage, concrete experience, is where the learner actively experiences
an activity. The team has many opportunities for concrete experiences during
the life of the project, the completion of an activity, the delivery of an output, or
the achievement of a major milestone; all are opportunities for learning.
© PM4DEV - 2018 6
Concrete Experience 7
For example, a project team experiences the delivery of an important output.

The project completes a training session on hand washing techniques for
school children. The team decides to use this first experience as a learning
opportunity and find ways to improve the delivery of future sessions in other
communities.
© PM4DEV - 2018 7
Reflective observation 8
Are there any

inconsistencies between
experience and
understanding?
The second stage, reflective observation, is when the learner consciously

reflects back on that experience. Reflection involves thinking about what was
done and experienced. Once the activity (or experience) is completed, the
team needs to review the situation and reflect on what happened.
© PM4DEV - 2018 8
Reflective observation 9
Using the previous example, the project organizes a meeting with some key
stakeholders to reflect on the activity. During the meeting, participants identify
that some of the tasks to prepare for the training session took longer than
planned and the team suffered from poor communications to coordinate the
work of all parties involved.
© PM4DEV - 2018 9
Abstract Conceptualization 10
The reflection gives rise

to a new idea, or a
modification of an
existing concept.
The third stage, abstract conceptualization, is where the learner attempts to

conceptualize a theory or model of what is observed. This is the step where
the analysis gives rise to a new idea or changes a preexisting concept. In this
stage, the team can identify themes, problems and/or issues that will help
them with new learning experience. The goal is to create concepts that they
can apply in the future.
© PM4DEV - 2018 10
Abstract Conceptualization 11
Following the example, the team and the key stakeholders that participated in
the reflection session, identify some opportunities to improve the process to
prepare and deliver future training sessions. A new approach is developed that
will help reduce the costs and improve the coordination of the tasks amongst
the various actors involved in the activity. The plan is presented and approved.
© PM4DEV - 2018 11
Active Experimentation 12
The learner applies them

to the world around them
to see what results.
In the final stage, the team will apply what they learned in the experience to
another situation. They use their theories to solve problems, make decisions
and influence people and/or events. The team takes risks and implements
their ideas to see what will result (experimentation). The goal is to test the
concepts in different and new situations to discover ways to improve the
outcomes of the project.
© PM4DEV - 2018 12
Active Experimentation 13
Following the same example, the team implements the new approach and
monitors the performance to verify that the planned benefits are being
realized. The team, by testing the new ideas, is able to learn from the
experience and apply the new concepts in future events. This can lead to
improvement on the performance of the project.
© PM4DEV - 2018 13
The Learning Cycle 14
The learning cycle model makes learning an integrated process with each
stage supporting of and feeding into the next. The cycle may be started at any
point, but the stages should be followed in sequence. The learning cycle
provides feedback, which is the basis for new action and evaluation of the
consequences of that action. However, effective learning only occurs when a
learner can execute all four stages of the model. Therefore, no one stage of
the cycle is effective as a learning procedure on its own.
© PM4DEV - 2018 14
END OF UNIT
© PM4DEV - 2018 15

PROJECT
DESIGN
MONITORING
EVALUATION
Lesson 6 – Unit 3
Project Management
for Development
WEB: www.pm4dev.com
© PM4DEV 2018
Lesson 6, unit 3
© PM4DEV - 2018 1
Reflective
Practice
Project Design
www.pm4dev.com
Reflective Practice
© PM4DEV - 2018 2
3
Reflective Practice 3
“The capacity to reflect on action so as to engage

in a process of continuous learning"
Reflective practice is a technique that can help project teams reflect on their
experiences and actions in order to engage in a process of continuous learning
during the life of the project. The use of this technique can help identify
opportunities to improve and adapt the project, especially in dynamic environments.
It is a tool for learning that can be useful to address issues and challenge
assumptions.
© PM4DEV - 2018 3
4
• Analyze project information,

monitoring and evaluation
results
• Make informed decisions and
recommendations for changes
Reflective practice is best when used in conjunction with the analysis of monitoring
and evaluation results; and to make informed decisions and recommendations for
changes in the current project or future projects. Reflective practice is the process of
continual self-reflection that enables the team to assess whether or not the project is
on course to achieve its goals. Reflective practice is the process of learning by
doing.
© PM4DEV - 2018 4
5
• Reflection-in-action
• Reflection-on-action
Reflective practice can occur during an event or after an event.
Reflection-in-action, occurs during the event. It is an immediate analysis to adjust

and improve actions, but it requires simultaneous attention to the event and the
analysis. This is useful when the project needs to react to an event at the time it
occurs.
Reflection-on-action takes place after the event, when full attention can be given to
the analysis and when there is opportunity to receive assistance from others in
analyzing the event. Project mid-term evaluations are a type of reflection-on-action
in which project outcomes are compared to expectations.
Ref. Donald Schon: learning, reflection and change
© PM4DEV - 2018 5
6
Reflective Practice Process 6
A process used to facilitate reflective practice is known as the reflective cycle. It

consist of the following six steps:
• Description - What happened?

• Feelings - What did you think and feel about it?
• Evaluation - What were the positives and negatives?
• Analysis - What sense can you make of it?
• Conclusion - What else could you have done?
• Action Plan - What will you do next time?
This process can be used in a team meeting to reflect on a recent event that
occurred in the project, it is an opportunity to learn and discover ideas to improve
the project.
Developed by Graham Gibbs, in his book "Learning by Doing."
© PM4DEV - 2018 6
Description 7
• What happened?
• When and where did this happen?
• What was the result of this situation?
The first step is to describe the event. Using specific and relevant detail, team
members can take turns to give a concise description of their experience.
Some of the question to facilitate the description of the event can include the
following:
• What happened?
• When and where did this happen?
• What was the result of this situation?
© PM4DEV - 2018 7
Feelings 8
• What did you feel after the situation?

• What do you think about the situation
now?
• What do you think other people feel about
the situation now?
The next step is to discover the personal feelings about the situation.
Questions that can be used in this phase include the following:
• What did you feel after the situation?
• What do you think about the situation now?
• What do you think other people feel about the situation now?
© PM4DEV - 2018 8
Evaluation 9
• What was positive about this situation?

• What was negative?
• What went well?
• What didn't go so well?
The third step is to evaluate the event or situation. Questions include:

• What was positive about this situation?
• What was negative?
• What went well?
• What didn't go so well?
If many things happened during the experience, the facilitator can focus on
one or two things that are most important, most relevant or most
representative of the experience.
© PM4DEV - 2018 9
Conclusion 10
• What should or could I have done

differently?
• What stopped us from doing this?
• What did I learn during the experience?
Once the team has evaluated the situation, participants can draw conclusions
about what happened. Questions in this step include:
• What should or could I have done differently?
• What stopped us from doing this?
• What did I learn during the experience
This step focus on summarizing what the team learnt from the experience.
© PM4DEV - 2018 10
Action 11
• What do we need to do in order to be

better prepared?
• What are the priority areas that need to be
developed?
• What steps do we need to take to achieve
these improvements?
The final step is action. The team needs to come up with a plan to make
changes so that the situation doesn’t occur again. The team can use the
following questions to develop the action plan.
• What do we need to do in order to be better prepared?
• What are the priority areas that need to be developed?
• What specific steps do we need to take in order to achieve these
improvements?
© PM4DEV - 2018 11
12
Reflective Cycle 12
The cycle is continuous and can be used in various situations. Reflection is used to
improve the understanding of a situation or event and create new learning and form
new ideas, it especially offers a good starting point for converting new learning and
knowledge into action and change.
© PM4DEV - 2018 12
Reflective Cycle 13
•Challenge assumptions
•Explore different/new ideas and approaches
•Promote self-improvement
•Link practice and theory
Using the reflective cycle is a valuable tool that can help the project to:
• Challenge assumptions.
• Explore different or new ideas and approaches towards implementing the
project.
• Promote self-improvement, by identifying strengths and weaknesses and
taking action to address them.
• Link practice and theory, by combining doing or observing with thinking or
applying knowledge.
© PM4DEV - 2018 13
14
Empowerment 14
• Project staff are encouraged to question

the project
• Discuss results as they emerge from M&E
reports
• Propose alternative strategies
An important effect of reflective practice is empowerment. Team members are

encouraged to question the practical limits of the project intervention. They discuss
results as they emerge from monitoring and evaluation reports. The team feels
motivated to propose alternative strategies to improve the effectiveness of project
deliverables. It is this openness, it is the ability for the team to question, but to also
provide alternatives, that creates a level of empowerment and ownership in the
project.
© PM4DEV - 2018 14
END OF UNIT
© PM4DEV - 2018 15

PROJECT
DESIGN
MONITORING
EVALUATION
Lesson 6 – Unit 4
Project Management
for Development
WEB: www.pm4dev.com
© PM4DEV 2018
Lesson 6, unit 4
© PM4DEV - 2018 1
Lessons
Learned
Project Design
www.pm4dev.com
Lessons learned
© PM4DEV - 2018 2
Lessons Learned 3
Lessons learned is another method to capture and document information on

what the project learned. Its objective is to document what went well, what did
not go well and what should be changed. The information captured in the
Lessons Learned session is summarized and made available for reference for
future projects.
© PM4DEV - 2018 3
Lessons Learned 4
• Promote the recurrence of desirable

outcomes.
• Prevent the recurrence of undesirable
outcomes.
A lessons learned session is traditionally held near the end of the project.
However, lessons learned may be identified and documented at any point
during the project's life cycle. The purpose of documenting lessons learned is
to share and use knowledge derived from experience to:
• Promote the recurrence of desirable outcomes

• Prevent the recurrence of undesirable outcomes
© PM4DEV - 2018 4
Lessons Learned 5
Identify Document Analyze Store Retrieve
As a practice, lessons learned includes the processes necessary for the

identification of applicable lessons learned, documentation, analysis and
organization, storage, and distribution to appropriate stakeholders.
The organization, current and future projects will identify the of actions that will
be taken as a result of the lesson learned, and follow-up to ensure that
appropriate actions were taken.
© PM4DEV - 2018 5
Lessons Learned Session 6
•Project team
•Selected key stakeholders
•Project support staff
•Project partners
A lessons learned session is conducted to focus on identifying project success

and project failures, and includes recommendations to improve future projects.
The lessons learned session is typically a meeting that includes:
• Project team
• Selected key stakeholders
• Project support staff
• Project partners
© PM4DEV - 2018 6
Content of a lessons learned document 7
•Project information
•A clear statement of the lessons
•A background summary of how the lessons
was learned
•Benefits of using the lessons and
suggestion how the lessons may be used in
the future
Lessons learned should document both positive experiences and negative

experiences. Every documented lesson learned should contain at least these
general elements:
• Project information
• A clear statement of the lessons
• A background summary of how the lessons were learned
• Benefits of using the lessons and suggestion how the lessons may be used
in the future
© PM4DEV - 2018 7
8
Lessons Learned 8
• What was planned?

• What actually occurred?
What went well and why?
• What can be improved and
how?
Participants in the lessons learned session typically discuss questions similar

to the following:
• What was planned?
• What actually occurred?
• What went well and why?
• What can be improved and how?
© PM4DEV - 2018 8
9
What was planned? 9
The team describes the

plan and the conditions at
the start of the project,
including assumptions
and risks.
In the first part of the session, the team will focus on describing the plan and
the circumstances at the start of the project, including assumptions and risks.
It’s important that the context of the project is document to understand the
conditions at the start of the project.
© PM4DEV - 2018 9
10
What happened? 10
The team describes what

actually occurred,
presenting facts without
any judgments.
In the next step, the team describes what actually occurred, presenting facts
without making judgments, and not trying to put blame on anyone. The
purpose of this step is just to describe facts in terms of what happened.
© PM4DEV - 2018 10
11
What went well and why? 11
The team presents the

actions that went well,
such as decisions to
respond to issues and
changes that improved
the project.
Next, it’s the turn to present what went well, such as decisions to respond to
issues and changes that improved the project, and describing the facts and the
actions that led to a good outcome. This section of the lessons learned
session helps the team realize that there has been a lot of good work that they
have done, and is a source of motivation to use the lessons learned in future
projects.
© PM4DEV - 2018 11
12
What can be improved and how? 12
The team identifies the

opportunities to improve
current and future projects.
Lessons are documented
with specific actions.
Finally, the team identifies the opportunities to improve current and future
projects. Lessons are documented with specific actions and a follow up plan
that will help implement and monitor the changes. The actions are prioritized
and an owner is assigned to ensure the action is implemented.
© PM4DEV - 2018 12
Benefits of Lessons Learned 13
• Learning from mistakes

• Recognizing success
• Retaining organizational knowledge
• Reduce future project problems
• Improve future project performance
The value of a lessons learned to the organization include the following:
• Learning from mistakes, so that they don’t happen again

• Recognizing success and accomplishments that can be replicated
• Retaining organizational knowledge for use by future projects
• Reduce future project problems
• Improve future project performance
© PM4DEV - 2018 13
14
The objective is that the Lessons learned document is shared and then used
by the organization and other projects. The lessons help in turn improve the
DME cycle, by modifying, shaping or validating the DME strategy. It might
include changes to the portfolio, or how the organization makes decisions
about new projects. This can lead to improvements on how the organization’s
resources are invested. It can include changes in the methodology - the
process to design, monitor and evaluate the projects. Even changes to
procedures and policies that the project may need to be more effective. The
idea is that eventually, at the end of the cycle , a new cycle starts with
recommendations and changes that can help the next projects be more
successful.
© PM4DEV - 2018 14
END OF UNIT
© PM4DEV - 2018 15

PROJECT
DESIGN
MONITORING
EVALUATION
Lesson 6 – Unit 5
Project Management
for Development
WEB: www.pm4dev.com
© PM4DEV 2018
Lesson 6, unit 5
© PM4DEV - 2018 1
After
Action
Reviews
Project Design
www.pm4dev.com
After Action Reviews
© PM4DEV - 2018 2
What is an After Action Review? 3
• Learn from past

successes and
failures
• Provide an opportunity
to assess what
happened and why.
• Learning-focused
discussions
An After Action Review (AAR) is a simple process used by a project team to

learn from past successes and failures, with the goal of improving future
performance. It is an opportunity for a team to reflect on a project, activity,
event or task so that they can do better the next time. AARs provide an
opportunity to assess what happened and why. They are learning-focused
discussions that are designed to help the team discover what to do differently.
For example, when conducting beneficiary training, the team can have an AAR
session after the first training event to analyze what to do better in the next
training.
© PM4DEV - 2018 3
Benefits of AAR 4
• Improves performance of current project

• Improves communication amongst team
members
• Clarifies roles and responsibilities
• Builds competency of team members
After action reviews are most effective when they are done on a regular basis
rather than at the end of the project. It’s typical that a project review is usually
done at the end of the project and that is well past any opportunity to change
the outcomes of the project. The lesson captured may help the next project,
but it is too late for the project that just ended. The idea is to capture and
implement critical lessons and knowledge to the current project to get the most
benefit. Some of the immediate benefits of conducting a AAR session include:
• Improves performance of current project
• Improves communication amongst team members
• Clarifies roles and responsibilities
• Builds competency of team members
© PM4DEV - 2018 4
After Action Review Questions 5
• What was supposed to

happen?
• What did happen?
• Why was there a
difference?
• What worked?
• What didn't work?
• What would you do
differently next time?
An AAR session can be organized after team meetings, to reflect on an event

or activity. It is a team exercise with a focus is to improve the project and not
judge failures. There are six questions the After Action Review considers:
• What was supposed to happen? What did happen? Why was there a
difference?
• What worked? What didn't work? Why?
• What would you do differently next time?
© PM4DEV - 2018 5
The AAR Process 6
• Schedule the AAR session

• Team and key stakeholders
• Facilitator to keep the focus
An AAR session can be organized in a short period, the sessions are not long
and can be done if a few hours. It’s is good practice to schedule the sessions
after major deliverables or milestones. In the session, the whole team should
be present, and some key stakeholders can be invited to participate. A
facilitator can be assigned to direct the discussion and keep the focus on the
session’s objectives and have an open, honest, and professional discussion on
how to improve the project’s processes.
© PM4DEV - 2018 6
AAR Process – Step 1 7
What was supposed to

happen?
The first question - What was supposed to happen? Focus on the plan the
project developed. It includes the tasks, responsibilities, resources, schedule
and expected results from the activity. It is a review of the strategy the project
developed to deliver a specific output or achieve an outcome. The team will
describe what was supposed to happen, at this time there should be no
discussion as to what happened. This initial step helps set the time and
understand what were the expectations of the project.
© PM4DEV - 2018 7
What did happen?
On the next question - What did happen? – The team will take turns to give an
account of what happened. It’s important to keep the discussions focused on
facts and not assign blame to anyone. In this step the goal is to capture facts
that describe the events of what occurred.
© PM4DEV - 2018 8
What was the difference?
The next question - Why was there a difference? - Focus on describing the
differences between what was planned and what happened. This will include
changes in assumptions, changes in the contract and other factors that
contributed to the difference.
© PM4DEV - 2018 9
What worked?
Next, it is important to make a difference between what worked and what did
not work as planned. In this question, the team will identify the actions, plans,
and process that worked as planned. This will help identify the good ideas or
strategies the project planned and had a good outcome. The team will also
identify the reasons why it happened. For example, the use of a new
communication strategy that helped coordinate the work of partners because it
was developed with input from the partners.
© PM4DEV - 2018 10
What didn’t work? Why?
Next is to identify the things that did not work as expected. The team will
identify the actions that did not produce the expected outcomes and identify
the reason why it did not happen. For example, the use of a new data
collection tool that did not work as expected and created more time to clean
the data, because the project did not spend enough time to train the users on
the new tool. The question Why helps identify the root cause of the failure.
© PM4DEV - 2018 11
What would you different

next time?
The last step is to ask the question - What would you do differently next time?
This is when the team identifies actionable recommendations that will help the
project improve. This is especially useful when the project is trying to improve
a process. For example, the delivery of the training session. The first session
will be the best opportunity to have an AAR session; the lesson can then be
applied in the next training event. The actions are documented and distributed
to the team with a specific task to implement them.
© PM4DEV - 2018 12
Follow up!
The project manager should do a follow up on the recommendations identified

by the project team and ensure they are implemented.
© PM4DEV - 2018 13
After Action Review 14
The real value of an AAR comes from the repeated use of the AAR during the
life of the project. It is better if they are done in small sessions, they will yield
better results than conducting a long session. Rather than waiting until the end
of a long project to evaluate how well the team did, AARs incorporate
continuous learning right from the start. Continuous improvement helps handle
the changes that are happening around the project and help keep open a
dialogue about learning and improvement.
© PM4DEV - 2018 14
END OF UNIT
© PM4DEV - 2018 15

PROJECT
DESIGN
MONITORING
EVALUATION
Lesson 6 – Unit 6
Project Management
for Development
WEB: www.pm4dev.com
© PM4DEV 2018
Lesson 6, unit 6
© PM4DEV - 2018 1
Learning
Principles
Project Design
www.pm4dev.com
Learning principles
© PM4DEV - 2018 2
Learning Principles 3
“A continuous, dynamic process of

investigation where the key elements are
experience, knowledge, access and
relevance. It requires a culture of inquiry
and investigation rather than one of
response and reporting.”
Learning in an organizations is described as “a continuous, dynamic process

of investigation where the key elements are experience, knowledge, access
and relevance. It requires a culture of inquiry and investigation rather than one
of response and reporting.”
Making learning a core part of an organization’s culture is difficult and requires
considerable effort, recourses and time. But once achieved, the benefits are
significant. Once critical factor that allows organizations to embrace a learning
culture is their predisposition to learning.
UNDP Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluation for Results, pp.77.
© PM4DEV - 2018 3
What makes an organization or a project being effective at learning?

Organizations that are effective at learning exhibit a series of behaviors and
practices that create a positive learning environment. There are about ten
principles that an organization seeking to achieve a learning culture should aim
to follow. Organizational leaders and project managers can use these
principles to create an environment that is conductive to learning.
Ref. Adapted from “Developing a learning culture in nonprofit organizations”,

Gill Stephen – 2010
© PM4DEV - 2018 4
Principle 1 5
Leaders support learning
The first principle. Leaders support learning.

From the top of the organization, senior executives and project managers send
a common message that continuous learning is valued from all in the
organization. Learning can happen in many different ways; through formal
face-to-face and online instruction; formal and informal, on-the-job activities;
and even social interactions. Leaders support this message with concrete
actions and consider learning as a key strategic value of the organization.
© PM4DEV - 2018 5
Principle 2 6
Project Managers take

responsibility for team learning
The second principle. Project managers take responsibility for team learning.
Project managers encourage team members to acquire new knowledge and
skills and develop competencies to make themselves more valuable to the
organization. Project managers also provide their team members with
opportunities to learn, practice what they learn, and apply the learning in the
project. Project managers hold team members accountable for learning and
hold themselves accountable for developing their teams.
© PM4DEV - 2018 6
Principle 3 7
The organization hires and

promotes learners
The third principle. The Organization hires and promotes learners.

When looking for new hires, project managers look for people who are self-
motivated learners, who are always seeking opportunities to acquire new
knowledge and skills, learn from their successes and failures, take risks for the
purpose of learning, and continue to develop themselves. The organization
has in place processes that promotes employees who demonstrate initiative in
learning and growing.
© PM4DEV - 2018 7
Principle 4 8
Learning is aligned with

results
Fourth principle. Learning is aligned with results.

Team members and project managers can clearly see how acquiring specific
knowledge and skills will contribute to the success of the project. It’s not
learning for learning’s sake but learning because that’s what will help the
project achieve its goals.
© PM4DEV - 2018 8
Principle 5 9
People have a learning

mindset
Fifth principle. People have a learning mindset.

Everybody believes that they can learn and grow within the organization.
Project managers are actively giving team members the opportunity to acquire
new knowledge and skills. They believe that nobody is fixed in their abilities;
that every person is able to enhance their competencies and improve
performance.
© PM4DEV - 2018 9
Principle 6 10
Organizational structure
facilitates learning
Sixth principle. Organizational structure facilitates learning.

Project information flows freely throughout the organization. Team members
feel free to communicate with each other and with members of other projects.
They provide assistance and peer-coaching to each other as needed. Team
members are connected across projects and actively share successes,
failures, and lessons-learned.
© PM4DEV - 2018 10
Principle 7 11
Knowledge management
contributes to learning
Principle seven. Knowledge management contributes to learning.

Information is stored in an easily accessible place (hardcopy or in a database)
that can be used by all team members to acquire knowledge that they need to
be successful in their work. Successes and failures are described in a way so
that anyone can find what they need to know. Team members can get the
information they need when they need it to improve the performance of the
project. Team members are constantly, creating, identifying, collecting,
organizing, sharing, adapting, and using information to help the project and the
organization become smarter.
© PM4DEV - 2018 11
Principle 8 12
Team members take risks and

experiment
Principle eight. Team members take risks and experiment.

Project managers nurture this behavior by recognizing the effort and the
learning even if the results are unsatisfactory. Team members are not
punished for trying something new. On the contrary, this kind of behavior is
encouraged. Failures, as well as successes, are treated as opportunities for
learning.
© PM4DEV - 2018 12
Principle 9 13
Learning is rewarded
Principle nine. Learning is rewarded.

When team members acquire new knowledge and skills, this is recognized and
celebrated. When new learning is applied and contributes to improving the
performance of the project, team members are rewarded (for example, more
challenging work assignments, statements of appreciation, and recognitions).
This in turn reinforces and motivates people to continue finding opportunities
to learn and use the new knowledge.
© PM4DEV - 2018 13
Principle 10 14
Everyone is reflective
Principle ten. Everyone is reflective.

Leaders, project managers, team members, and other stakeholders take every
opportunity to learn. Projects have after-action-reviews. Lessons are captured
and immediately shared with the intention of learning and improving current
and future projects. Every significant action is viewed as opportunities for
learning. People are continually reflecting on what they can learn from what
they are doing and what was achieved.
© PM4DEV - 2018 14
These learning principles describe the behaviors, policies and procedures that
must exist for an organization to embrace a culture of learning. When these
principles exist in the culture, an organization is predisposed to individual,
team, and whole organization learning. With that learning comes an increased
likelihood that performance will improve, and the development goals will be
achieved.
© PM4DEV - 2018 15
END OF UNIT
© PM4DEV - 2018 16

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eCourse: Project Design, Monitoring and Evaluation

Introduction A course on the principles,

• Understand the value of continuous

Welcome to lesson 6 – The Learning Project. The learning objectives of this

• Understand the value of continuous learning.

• Unit 6.1 – The Learning Project

This lesson consist of the following units:

• Unit 6.1 – The Learning Project

The total time of this lesson is about 60 minutes.

A course on the principles,

The Learning Project

The Learning Phase 3

Learning from Evaluations 4

• The application of the evaluation results to

An important source of opportunities to learn and improve the project comes

is the team at incorporating learnings in the project? How good is the

The Learning Project 7

What is a learning project? Learning is the process through which information

Continuously learns and adapts 8

• Complex and dynamic context

Why we need learning? Development projects operate in complex and

By placing and emphasis on continuous improvement, the project recognizes

• Learning is not done in isolation

In a learning project, learning is not done in isolation, it requires the

• Shares lessons with partners,

A learning project shares lessons with partners, beneficiaries, and donors. By

The Learning Project 11