具体描述
For some organizations, Lessons Learned (LL) is an informal process of discussing and recording project experiences during the closure phase. For others, LL is a formal process that occurs at the end of each phase of a project. Regardless of when they are performed, if you are a project team member, chances are you will soon be required to present an evaluation of your project using Lessons Learned.
Presenting new information that updates the award-winning first edition, The Basics of Project Evaluation and Lessons Learned, Second Edition supplies practical guidance on conducting project Lessons Learned. The first edition won the Project Management Institute's (PMI®) David I. Cleland Project Management Literature Award. Following in the footsteps of its popular predecessor, this second edition provides an easy-to-follow, systematic approach to conducting Lessons Learned on a project.
Updated to align with the PMBOK® Guide, Fifth Edition
Includes three new chapters—PRINCE2®, Agile Retrospectives, and Knowledge Transfer— in response to information requests from readers of the first edition from around the world
Enhanced with valuable new resources in the Project Evaluation Resource Kit (PERK) found on the free CD included in the back of the book, including a fully functional MS Access Lessons Learned Database
The research in this book is based on four years of doctoral dissertation research and is supported by renowned experts in the field of evaluation. The concepts covered are applicable to all types of organizations that implement projects and need to conduct Lessons Learned.
Providing tools and techniques for active engagement, the text is founded on the principles of conducting project evaluations as recommended by the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world’s leading not-for-profit membership association for the project management profession, and PRINCE2® (Project in Controlled Environments version 2), a major governing body of project management.
Simplifying and formalizing the methodology of conducting LL in projects, the contents of this book will help organizations, large and small, more effectively implement processes and systems to support effective LL. The text is supported by a Project Evaluation Resource Kit (PERK), which is found in CD format at the back of the book.
作者简介
Willis H. Thomas, PhD, PMP, CPT, has been involved in training and development, organizational effectiveness, and quality operations in the pharmaceutical, telecommunications, and information technology industries. As an employee, he has worked for large companies such as Xerox, Ameritech, Brinks, and Pfizer. As a consultant, he has serviced companies across many different industries around the globe, specifically in the areas of project management and evaluation.
He maintains a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) and a Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) certification from the International Society of Performance Improvement (ISPI).
Willis is the author of a book published in November of 2011 entitled The Basics of Project Evaluation and Lessons Learned, New York, NY: Productivity Press. His book was recognized as Best of the Best publications by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in October of 2012 and received the coveted Cleland award at the PMI Global Conference in Vancouver, Canada, on October 20, 2012. He is also the author of The Basics of Achieving Professional Certification: Enhancing Your Credentials, published in November of 2013. In this book, ASTD was recognized as a best practice.
He has been a guest speaker for numerous educational institutions (i.e., Western Michigan University and University of South Florida) and professional associations (i.e., AEA, ASTD, PMI, APICS, and IVT). He has authored a variety of articles on project management and evaluation in recognized journals and publications. In the area of project management, he has taught many courses worldwide for the International Institute for Learning.
Willis holds a PhD in Evaluation from Western Michigan University. The title of his dissertation was "A Metaevaluation of Lessons Learned Repositories: Evaluative Knowledge Management Practices in Project Management." In line with his extensive research, he has developed a comprehensive website on project management that focuses specifically on lessons learned at www.lessonslearned.info <http://www.lessonslearned.info>.
Current Professional Memberships: AEA, APICS, ASTD, PMI, and ISPI
目录信息
What Is a Project?
Why Project Management?
Project Management Process Groups
Project Management Knowledge Areas
Boundaries of Project Management
Who Is a Project Manager?
Programs versus Portfolios
What Is Lessons Learned?
Who Is a Lessons Learned Project Team Member?
What Project Knowledge Is Required?
What Competencies Are Essential?
Team Development Process
Organizational Structures
Organizational Cultures
Who Are Project Stakeholders?
Working with Project Stakeholders
Use the STYLE Framework to Discover Stakeholder Style
Use the TYPE Grid to Classify Stakeholders
Resolving Stakeholder Neutral Opinions
Project Management Office
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
Suggested Reading
Foundations of Evaluation
Origins of Evaluation
Lessons Learned in Project Management
Classifications of Evaluation
Is Project Evaluation Complex?
What Is Component Evaluation?
What Is Outcome Evaluation?
Lessons Learned Is Project Learning
How Can Lessons Learned Be Used?
Is Intraproject Learning Feasible?
What Investment Is Required to Conduct Lessons Learned?
What Is Appreciative Inquiry?
Descriptive versus Evaluative Knowledge
Tacit, Explicit, and Embedded Knowledge
Determining Competence and Defining Competencies
What Is the DIKUD Continuum?
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
References
Suggested Reading
The Lessons Learned Process
The Need to Evaluate Projects
Lessons and the Adult Learning Theory
Individual, Group, and Organizational Learning
Journaling to Capture Learning
Determining Needs and Wants
Lessons Learned Process
Foundation
Identification
Collection
Reposition
Distribution
Presentation
Verification
Adoption
Integration
Administration
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
References
Suggested Reading
Lessons Learned Support Systems and Repositories
What Is a Lessons Learned Support System?
Why Use a Lessons Learned Support System?
What Is a Lessons Learned Repository?
Computer-Based Repositories versus Paper-Based Systems
Digital versus Electronic
Features of a Computer-Based Repository
Functions of an Electronic Repository
Benefits of an Electronic Repository
Records Management
Knowledge Management
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
Suggested Reading
Best Practices and Benchmarking
Communities of Interest
Communities of Development
Communities of Practice
What Are Best Practices?
What Is Benchmarking?
Comparative versus Competitive Analysis
Choosing a Measurement Approach
Good Business Practices and Bulletins
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
References
Suggested Reading
Case Studies
Introduction
Case Studies
Bellcore
CALVIN
Center for Army Lessons Learned
Eli Lilly
Hurricane Katrina
Kentucky Transportation System
MeetingsNet
NASA
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems
University of Massachusetts
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
References
Suggested Reading
Lessons Learned Scenarios in Real Life
Scenario Analysis
Scenarios
Customer Relationship Management
Project
Questions
Facilities Management
Project
Questions
Professional Association Management
Project
Questions
Developing Role Plays Based on Scenarios
Advanced Role Playing
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
Suggested Reading
Capacity Building through Evaluation
What Is Capacity Building?
High-Quality Lessons Learned
Approaches to Conducting Evaluations
Popularized Evaluation Models
Research Methods
Measurement Practices
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
Suggested Reading
Project Evaluation Management
Project Evaluation Management
Project Evaluation Plan
Evaluation Reporting
Good Documentation Practices versus Documentation Quality Standards
Visualization and Presentation
Project Management Network Diagrams
PERT
Gantt Charts
PEM as a New Knowledge Area?
Collaborative Evaluation
Microevaluation versus Macroevaluation
Key Evaluation Checklist
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
Reference
Suggested Reading
Agile Retrospectives
What Are Agile Retrospectives?
A Brief History of Agile Project Management
Important Agile Project Management Retrospective Concepts to Understand
Newly Identified Resources for Agile Project Management and Retrospectives
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
References
PRINCE2: Lessons Log and Lessons Report
What Is PRINCE2?
Using the Lessons Log in PRINCE2
Using the Lessons Report in PRINCE2
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
References
Knowledge Transfer
What Is Knowledge Transfer?
How Is Knowledge Management Related to Knowledge Transfer?
Who Is Responsible for Knowledge Transfer?
Where Should Knowledge Be Transferred?
When Should Knowledge Transfer Occur?
Why Is Protecting Knowledge Transfer Important?
Which Barriers to Knowledge Transfer Should Be Addressed?
Plus/Minus/Delta (+/–/Δ)
What are Pluses?
What are Minuses?
What are Deltas?
Lessons That Apply to This Chapter
Reference
Suggested Reading
Appendix
Abbreviations
Terms and Definitions
Evaluation
Knowledge Management
Lessons Learned
Project Management
Records Management
Research Methods
Measurement Practices
Supply Chain Management
Visualization and Presentation
Concluding Thoughts
Index
· · · · · · (收起)
读后感
用户评价
这本书带来的冲击是潜移默化的，它不像一本操作手册那样立竿见影，更像是一剂需要时间才能完全发挥效力的“思想疫苗”。我特别欣赏作者在书的收尾部分，提出的关于“持续改进文化”的远景规划。他们清晰地描绘出，一个真正懂得从项目中学习的组织，其核心竞争力将如何随着时间的推移而指数级增长。书中的语言风格在保持专业性的同时，偶尔流露出的那种对“徒劳无功”的批判，也让人感到共鸣，仿佛作者正坐在你的对面，以一种过来人的身份与你交谈。其中关于如何将“教训”转化为“标准化操作程序（SOP）”的实践路径，描述得极为细致，真正解决了经验难以固化的痛点。对于任何希望其团队不仅能交付项目，更能每年都比上一年做得更好的领导者来说，这本书提供的是一份无可替代的蓝图，它要求我们停止追逐表面的“成功”，转而追求根本性的“智慧积累”。
说实话，我抱着略带怀疑的态度开始阅读这本书，因为市面上关于项目管理的书籍浩如烟海，大多数都流于表面，无非是些流程图和术语的堆砌。但这本书，明显是跨越了那条平庸的界限。它的语言风格非常直接，甚至可以说是有些尖锐，直指当前企业在项目收尾阶段常常采取的敷衍了事态度。我尤其欣赏作者在论述“经验教训”时所体现出的那种近乎偏执的细节关注度——他们不仅关注“发生了什么”，更深入剖析了“为什么会发生，以及当时决策者在信息不全的情况下是如何做出选择的”。这种对决策环境的还原，是许多其他书籍避而不谈的灰色地带。读完后，我感觉自己对“项目收官”的理解从一个简单的行政任务，提升到了一个需要高度战略眼光和心理学洞察的复杂艺术。书中关于如何构建“无责备文化”来促进真实反馈的章节，简直是管理学界的一股清流，它真正触及了组织变革的核心障碍——恐惧与面子问题。
这部作品在深入探讨其核心主题——项目评估与经验教训总结——的同时，也展现了作者对复杂管理哲学不加掩饰的洞察力。我花了整整一周的时间沉浸其中，每翻开一页都感觉像是在攀登一座知识的峭壁，需要极大的专注力去理解那些精妙的分析框架。它并非那种轻松愉快的读物，恰恰相反，它要求读者具备一定的专业背景，才能真正领会其中关于“有效性度量”与“反馈循环机制”的论述。特别值得称赞的是，作者没有停留在理论的象牙塔中，而是引入了大量案例分析，这些案例的广度和深度令人印象深刻，它们像是散落在知识迷宫中的灯塔，指引着我们如何在现实的泥潭中辨别出真正的项目成功与否。我发现，书中的一个章节对“事后审计（Post-Mortem Analysis）”的流程描述，尤其具有实践指导意义，它提供的不仅仅是一个清单，更是一种需要内化的思维模式转变，一种对失败心存敬畏的态度。整本书的论证结构严谨得像一台瑞士钟表，每一个齿轮的转动都服务于最终揭示“如何从不确定性中提取确定性”这一宏大目标。
坦率地说，初读此书时，我感觉被其严谨的学术腔调稍稍震慑住了，它似乎更倾向于与学术共同体对话，而不是直接面向刚入行的职场新人。然而，一旦适应了这种深入到骨髓里的逻辑推演，我便开始享受其中带来的智力上的挑战。作者在论证过程中引用的引用文献之丰富，本身就是对该主题研究深度的有力佐证。最让我印象深刻的是，作者对“评估偏差”（Evaluation Bias）的剖析，他们详尽地展示了权力结构如何扭曲最终的经验总结报告，以及如何设计反制措施来确保信息的真实性。这已经超越了项目管理的范畴，触及了组织行为学的深层议题。这本书的价值不在于告诉你下一步该做什么，而在于让你理解你现在所做的一切，在宏大的历史维度和组织生命周期中，究竟意味着什么。它迫使我从一个仅仅关注“项目完成”的执行者，转变为一个关注“组织学习”的战略思考者。
这本书的结构设计极具匠心，它仿佛是为那些厌倦了浮夸说教的资深项目经理量身定做的一份深度报告。我注意到，作者似乎刻意规避了那些被过度炒作的、缺乏实质内容的“流行词汇”，而是专注于打磨那些经过时间检验的、更具操作性的评估工具。例如，书中对风险识别的重新定义，不再局限于技术层面的故障，而是将组织政治和跨部门沟通的障碍也纳入了评估范围，这一点极大地拓宽了我的视野。读到关于量化“软性成果”的部分时，我几乎是迫不及待地用荧光笔做了标记，因为这正是我在实际工作中遇到的巨大难题——如何为那些难以量化的、诸如团队士气提升、知识沉淀等贡献找到合理的价值锚点。这本书并没有提供万能公式，而是提供了一套可以根据具体情境进行灵活调整的“评估工具箱”，这比任何一成不变的教条都更有价值。它让我深刻认识到，真正的评估，是对过去努力的一种负责任的、不带感情色彩的致敬。
