When should the AAR tool be used?
It is best to conduct AAR immediately after an activity has taken place and before the participants or project team disbands. This is a great opportunity for Informal AAR, as it can be spontaneous with little planning, and may take less than 20 to 30 minutes. On the other hand, Formal AAR needs detailed planning and can take more time. Depending on the scope of the project, the Formal AAR can take one to three days.
An AAR is a structured approach to managing knowledge and continuous improvement of any activity, project, or work session. It is also used to build a culture of accountability. This approach permits the participants of an activity to discover for themselves what happened and why. It can also be used to solicit ideas on how a particular activity could have been performed better. It should be conducted in response to some significant activity, or when an event in an organization has concluded.
The idea is to capture the learning immediately...
