Post Implementation Review

About the Post Implementation Review

The change management process does not cease when the project is "completed."  Finishing a project does not guarantee that the organisation will achieve all the planned benefits. 

For example, a year-long change initiative to implement a new quality management system ends when the system is implemented and in use.  However, it may still need to address the business requirement to improve quality. It may take months of reinforcement to confirm improvements.  Measurements may determine additional coaching or other interventions to achieve the desired benefits and results.

Why you need to complete a Post Implementation Review 

The Post Implementation Review (PIR) is designed to analyse the transformation programme, evaluate the planned changes' success and determine the next steps. 

It confirms:

• Has the modification been done as planned, and is it having the desired effect?
• Does it fulfil the operational and business objectives for which it was implemented?
• Does it need more follow-ups?
• What lessons were learned from the programme?
• Has it accomplished the outcome it had envisioned? If they differ from what was anticipated, what led to those differences?
• What did not occur that you expected? For example, typical resistance to change, guide users through new systems and fix technical issues that didn't surface during the testing of deliverables.
  

Prerequisites

The review is based on the agreed rationale for change, vision, scope, benefits, KPIs and the Business Case documented in the Change Implementation Plan. Before initiating the change programme, you will also need valid data/performance measures.  This data should be available in the business case.

Steps to complete a Post Implementation Review

• Plan the PIR in advance - it should occur shortly after the project completes or if there are outstanding issues to resolve.
• Plan a follow-up PIR - long enough after completion (1 or 2 months) for the changes to evaluate the quality of the new systems, processes and procedures. This delay may match one complete business cycle.
  

Conduct the PIR

Prepare:

• Send a questionnaire to capture feedback from the project teams independently, end users, managers and 3rd parties involved or impacted by the transformation.  This can be sorted into categories like; planning, project delivery, communications, risk management, training, go-live support, post-go-live, benefits achieved, etc.
• Document and share the feedback from the questionnaire, plus data analysis comparing pre and post-implementation.  Ideally, share the questionnaire results before the PIR workshop is conducted.

Conduct the PIR workshop: 

• Ensure everyone is aware there are no penalties for being honest and open, and there are no wrong answers
• Keep the focus on the facts, not on people or personalities
• Review the feedback and data, highlighting and discussing the key information

Brainstorm the following questions, ideas and concepts in the workshop:

• Did the initiative meet its objectives? If not, why not?
• Did the initiative stay within its scope? If not, what were the reasons for any scope creep?
• Was the initiative completed on time? If not, what were the reasons for any delays?
• Did the initiative achieve the planned benefits?  If not, what follow-on activities are required to achieve the planned benefits?
• Did the initiative stay within its budget? If not, what were the reasons for any cost overruns?
• Are all stakeholders adopting the new way of working?  If not, what actions are required to prevent stakeholders from returning to the old story?
• Was the initiative delivered to the required quality standards? If not, what were the reasons for any quality issues?
• Were all of the initiative risks identified and mitigated? If not, what were the consequences of any unmitigated risks?
• What were the key lessons learned from the transformation? How can these lessons be applied to future projects?

Additional tips for conducting a successful PIR:

• Set clear objectives for the PIR. What do you plan to achieve from the review?
• Involve all key stakeholders. The PIR should be attended by all stakeholders who were involved in the project.
• Gather data from a variety of sources. This may include project documentation, interviews with stakeholders, and surveys.
• Analyze the data and identify key themes. What are the key factors that contributed to the project's success or failure?
• Develop recommendations for improvement. Based on your analysis, what can be done to improve future projects?
• Communicate the results of the PIR to all stakeholders. Make sure that everyone involved in the project understands the findings and recommendations of the review. 

Next steps

• Document actions for ongoing improvements to be put in place and reviewed at the next PIR.
•  Capture the Lessons Learned for the next project/transformation.