Capturing, sharing and re-using lessons to improve learning in construction projects

'Lessons learned', defined as knowledge gained from successful or failed experience, are keys to the success of project-oriented organisations such as those in the construction industry. The temporary nature of projects does not allow learning and knowledge transfer to be properly carried out, as team members are disbanded upon completion and move on to the next assignments. From the perspective of knowledge and project management, effective lessons learned program can help organizations to learn from project team members and from the project as a whole. This paper gives an overview of the current practices on lessons learned or similar strategies from the literature, and generally highlights various methods and techniques for capturing, sharing and disseminating knowledge created from projects in construction management. Other similar concepts in collecting, analyzing and implementing useful lessons, like 'after action review' and 'post project review', are discussed with emphasis on the format and content of tacit and explicit knowledge transfer. Issues related to the roles of players in knowledge transfer (e.g. originators, brokers, receivers) and quality of knowledge in terms of relevancy, reliability, completeness, consistency, and ambiguity are also explored. The research will benefit various stakeholders in the industry by improving performance in project management through avoidance of mistakes, errors or failures, and ensuring that successful practices are carried forward.