Gartner for IT Leaders Tool

Gartner for IT Leaders Tool

Project Postmortem Review
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Unless otherwise marked for external use, the items in this Gartner Tool are for internal noncommercial use by the licensed Gartner
client. The materials contained in this Tool may not be repackaged or resold. Gartner makes no representations or warranties as to
the suitability of this Tool for any particular purpose, and disclaims all liabilities for any damages, whether direct, consequential,
incidental or special, arising out of the use of or inability to use this material or the information provided herein.

What it does:
Use this tool to facilitate a post-project review session with project participants, including sponsors, stakeholders and the project
team. The discussion questions contained will help assess what went well during the project, what could have been improved and
areas of focus for future projects.
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Instructions:
● The questions below are organized into six key areas:
1. Project Overview
2. Project Outcomes
3. Change Management
4. Financial Management
5. Risk Management
6. Governance & Communication
● Depending on the composition of the participant group and goal of the session, customize the questions and select specific
areas to focus the discussion on.
● Document noteworthy lessons learned and archive this document with all other project documentation for future project
decisions.

© 2024 Gartner, Inc. and/or its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

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Project Information
Project Name

Sponsor

Project Manager

Project Team Members

Date Started/Completed

1. Project Overview
What went well during the project, and in particular what were some of the greatest successes?

What stages of the project encountered the largest obstacles? What were they and why did they occur?

© 2024 Gartner, Inc. and/or its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

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2. Project Outcomes
Was the project delivered on time? If not, why wasn’t it and what can we do differently to avoid this in the future?

Did the project accomplish all its intended objectives? If not, why wasn’t it able to?

How did the project advance the business outcome(s)? Did it meet expectations?

© 2024 Gartner, Inc. and/or its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

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Was time to value achieved throughout the project lifecycle? What were the greatest challenges in achieving this?

3. Change Management
What changes were requested over the course of the project? How could these changes have been better anticipated?

How did the changes demonstrate business value (e.g., increased revenue, cost savings)?

© 2024 Gartner, Inc. and/or its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

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Were any project objectives compromised through the introduction of a change? If so, why?

4. Financial Management
How did the actual project costs compare to pre-project estimates? What cost more or less than was budgeted for, and why?

How can costs be reduced on future, similar projects without compromising project objectives?

5. Risk Management
How many anticipated risks materialized, and how were they mitigated?

© 2024 Gartner, Inc. and/or its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

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How many unanticipated risks materialized, and how were they mitigated?

Which risks were managed well, and which could have been better managed?

6. Governance & Communication

What feedback have stakeholders provided on the amount and type of information they received in project status reports?

Was there clear understanding among stakeholders regarding their role (i.e., who was to be responsible, accountable, consulted,
and informed concerning the project)? If not, why?

© 2024 Gartner, Inc. and/or its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

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Did key decision-makers make effective, timely decisions for the benefit of the project and the business? If not, why?

© 2024 Gartner, Inc. and/or its Affiliates. All Rights Reserved.