HKSM

A living project log that captures insights, successes, issues, and recommendations as the work progresses. It supports continuous improvement during the project and provides reusable knowledge for future projects.

Key Points

• It is a living document updated throughout the project, not just at closing.
• Entries should be actionable, specific, and include context and recommended actions.
• Categorize and tag lessons to make them easy to search and reuse later.
• Use inputs from the whole team and stakeholders, not only the project manager.
• Apply relevant lessons immediately to improve current work and reduce repeat issues.
• At closure, archive the register into the organizational repository for future reference.

Purpose

Capture practical knowledge gained during the project and turn it into improvements you can use now and later.

• Prevent repeating mistakes by recording root causes and fixes.
• Replicate successes by documenting what worked and why.
• Support onboarding and handovers with concise, contextual insights.
• Enrich organizational process assets with reusable guidance.

Field Definitions

• ID - Unique identifier for the lesson.
• Date - When the lesson was captured.
• Source/Contributor - Person or role who provided the lesson.
• Context - Brief background (phase, sprint, activity, or scenario).
• Category/Tags - Topic labels such as scope, schedule, quality, communication, risk, procurement, or team.
• Lesson Description - What happened and why it matters.
• Impact - Effect on outcomes such as cost, time, quality, or stakeholder satisfaction.
• Recommendation/Action - What to do differently or keep doing.
• Status - Proposed, in review, accepted, implemented, or archived.
• Owner - Person responsible for follow-up actions.
• Applicability - Where this lesson applies (this project, organization-wide, similar projects).
• References/Links - Evidence, artifacts, or related items (e.g., change, issue, risk).

How to Create

1. Select a simple template with the fields above and store it in a shared location.
2. Seed the register with relevant lessons from prior projects or the repository.
3. Define categories and tags to support search and reporting.
4. Set contribution channels (meeting notes, form, or backlog item) and access rights.
5. Explain expectations to the team: concise, factual, actionable entries.
6. Plan regular touchpoints to capture lessons (retrospectives, reviews, milestones).

How to Use

• Capture lessons as they occur during events like stand-ups, demos, reviews, or after-action discussions.
• Prioritize and assign owners for high-impact recommendations and track status to closure.
• Apply relevant lessons immediately to plans, checklists, risks, and processes.
• Share highlights in team meetings and with stakeholders to drive adoption.
• Before major activities, scan the register and the repository for related prior lessons.
• At closure, summarize key lessons and transfer the register to the organizational repository.

Ownership & Update Cadence

• Owner - The project manager facilitates; the whole team contributes content.
• Steward - PMO or knowledge manager maintains the enterprise repository and taxonomy.
• Cadence - Ongoing; formally review and update at iterations, phase gates, and major milestones.
• Quality - Keep entries neutral, evidence-based, and respectful; avoid blame and personal data.

Example Rows

• ID: LL-012; Date: 2025-03-12; Context: Sprint 4 demo; Category: Scope; Lesson: Stories lacked acceptance criteria; Impact: Rework and delay; Recommendation: Add Definition of Ready checklist; Status: Accepted; Owner: PO; Applicability: All agile teams.
• ID: LL-019; Date: 2025-04-02; Context: Vendor onboarding; Category: Procurement; Lesson: Late NDA approval stalled access; Impact: 1-week delay; Recommendation: Trigger NDA 2 weeks before onboarding; Status: Implemented; Owner: Procurement; Applicability: Vendor engagements.
• ID: LL-027; Date: 2025-04-20; Context: UAT cycle; Category: Quality; Lesson: Test data inconsistent; Impact: Defects missed; Recommendation: Maintain shared, versioned test data set; Status: Proposed; Owner: QA Lead; Applicability: Testing phases.
• ID: LL-031; Date: 2025-05-05; Context: Executive review; Category: Communications; Lesson: Slide deck too detailed; Impact: Decisions deferred; Recommendation: Use 1-page summary plus appendix; Status: Implemented; Owner: PM; Applicability: Governance meetings.

PMP Example Question

Midway through a project, the team discovers that unclear acceptance criteria are causing repeated rework. What should the project manager do to align with good practice?

1. Record the insight in the lessons learned register now, tag it, share with the team, and implement the recommendation.
2. Wait until project closing to document the lesson to avoid distracting the team.
3. Escalate it as an issue only; lessons should be captured by the PMO after closure.
4. Add it to the risk register only, because it affects future uncertainty, not lessons.

Correct Answer: A — Record the insight now, categorize it, communicate it, and apply the improvement immediately.

Explanation: The lessons learned register is updated throughout the project to drive continuous improvement and is later archived for organizational reuse.