Use an After-Action Review to Evaluate and Improve Your Nonprofit’s Programs
By pure chance, I once happened to catch an NPR interview with former Navy SEAL James Hatch, whose military history influenced the creation of a course at Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs called U.S. Decision-Making on the War in Afghanistan.
When the US withdrew troops from Afghanistan, Hatch spoke to CNN’s Anderson Cooper and said that the military should do an “after-action review.”
"We need to tear apart our conduct, all the choices we made. We look at it from A to Z," Hatch said in his CNN interview. “Because if you don't seriously reflect on the choices made in tough situations, you're probably going to make mistakes again."
Being in the nonprofit space, I’ve seen the concept of After Action Reviews (AARs) expand far beyond their military beginnings into use by businesses and nonprofits, first as a knowledge management tool and more recently as a leadership and professional development framework.
In the news, there are stories of company leaders innovating their PD and team-building efforts by introducing concepts like NASCAR pit stops or military-style trainings (including one called “Top Gun Experience,” which instructs leaders on “how to implement business strategies with the mindset of a fighter pilot.”
“You can do all the ‘Kumbaya’ trust fall stuff, or you can get dirty with your team throwing tires onto NASCARs,” says Kris Kovacs, the Chief Executive of fintech platform Constellation.
While I absolutely value team building exercises and professional development, I’m not convinced that an aviation environment or military training is the right approach.
“Without a solid framework of culture and values, trendy professional development tactics may yield a potentially fun and engaging outing for your employees–but they’re not likely to yield true professional development or lasting culture improvement. What if instead of “getting dirty with your team,” you prioritized the core foundational and imperative work of your company first? ”
Melissa Nightingale, a co-founder of the management training firm Raw Signal Group, says that “About 75 percent of professional development efforts fall on the floor.” If we’re trying to make it to the 25% of PD efforts that actually stick, how can we actually apply the concepts of the after action review?
The Desired Outcome
What is your organization’s desired outcome from professional development strategies? Is that outcome best served by group activities, or is individualized and personalized coaching better for your team? Is it a culture fix you’re after, or do you need to address your hiring and retention policies?
Let’s revisit the original purpose and use for an after-action:
Improving process and execution by…
Analyzing the intended outcome and actual outcome of an action
Identifying practices to sustain and practices to improve or initiate
Practicing those changes at the next iteration of the action
I’ve recently begun encouraging my clients to introduce the concept of an after-action review or after-action session, especially when sunsetting a program at their nonprofit, when a project team is wrapping up their work, or when a consultant team is ending their support of the organization.
Not only is this an important opportunity to reflect on the program’s lifecycle, it also provides valuable ways to understand its impact, and learn from the experience to inform future initiatives.
We have to look back to look forward.
“Having a plan for before big stuff is important . . . but AFTER is equally necessary. When we finish our talk (or our meeting, or whatever the conversation is that you’re having) your nervous system is in FULL activation, and that is the time that it learns how to respond to a similar situation in the future.” – Casey Erin Clark and Julie Fogh, Founders of Vital Voice
After Action Review Questions
These questions aim to create a comprehensive and reflective conversation that honors the work done, acknowledges challenges, and captures valuable lessons for the future:
1. Opening Reflections
What were the original goals and objectives?
Were the original goals and objectives met? Why or why not?
What are the most significant successes or milestones we achieved?
2. Program/Project Impact
How did this impact the community or population it served?
What are the most notable outcomes or changes observed?
Were there any unexpected positive or negative impacts?
3. Team Involvement
How did the team collaborate?
What worked well / could have been improved in our communication and teamwork?
How did we engage with interested parties (community members, clients, community partners, funders) during the program?
Were there any key individuals or organizations we missed or could have involved more effectively?
4. Challenges and Obstacles
What were the biggest challenges or obstacles we encountered?
How did we address challenges, what could’ve been done differently?
Were there any resource constraints (time, budget, capacity, staffing) that impacted the success?
5. Lessons Learned
What are key lessons learned that can be applied to future initiatives?
What would we do differently to run a similar program or project again?
Are there any processes, tools, or strategies we developed that should be carried forward?
6. Client and Community Feedback
What feedback did we receive from the community or clients served by the program?
How did we respond to this feedback, and what impact did it have on the program’s direction?
How might this feedback inform our future work or similar programs?
7. Program Sustainability and Legacy
What aspects can/should be sustained or integrated into other areas of our work?
How will we ensure that the knowledge and experience gained from this program are retained within the organization?
Are there any ongoing needs or opportunities that emerged from the program that we should continue to address?
Can the lessons learned and the processes, tools, or strategies we developed be shared with our community partners, or with the general public?
8. Closing and Future Planning
How do we feel about the decision to (sunset, transfer, pause) the program or project?
What final steps or actions are needed to properly close this out?
How can we celebrate the work and contributions of the team and interested parties involved?
Who do we need to share our gratitude with, or recognize in some way, for their participation?
What are our next steps as an organization after the (sunset, transfer, pause)?
What advice would you give if you “knew then what you know now?”
NOTE: It can be helpful to bring in a facilitator to conduct your after action review, or you can navigate this with your team without a consultant. An external partner is unbiased and impartial, allowing everyone an equitable opportunity to share their experiences. A professional facilitator can also help to diffuse and navigate the emotions that come with ending a program.
If you don’t hire a professional facilitator, I recommend choosing a neutral party in your organization who is not closely affiliated with the project or program to be as impartial as possible.
When to Schedule Your After Action Review
It’s important to schedule your after-action session as soon as possible after the program or project ends, or once the decision has been made to conclude the program or project. By holding this session as soon as you can, the team’s observations and memory recall will be more applicable and appropriate for the purpose of the after action review session.
I do not recommend an after action session taking place during a program or pilot. A mid-program review can be helpful to determine where pivots and adjustments can be made, but the after-action review has a separate purpose.
The after-action review brings in the intentional comparison of initial goals with actual results.
Before your AAR, review the suggested questions above and decide which ones are applicable to your situation and organization. You may add more questions if you want to explore something I haven’t covered here.
Schedule the after-action session(s) and consider breaking this process into several meetings. I recommend at least two hours, but that timing depends on how many team members will participate. Make sure to allow time for each team member to have an appropriate amount of time to speak. An alternative to a group meeting is to conduct 1:1 interview sessions, or invite team members to submit audio, written, or video responses to your questions.
Once your session(s) are scheduled, provide all questions to the team members who will attend so they have time to prepare and give some thought to their experience and what they are willing to share.
Other Considerations for the AAR
Documentation: Ensure that key insights, lessons learned, and recommendations are documented for future reference. This might be written documentation or a collection of audio or video recordings, as well as photographs taken of sticky notes or any additional formats used to collect and curate the team’s responses during the review process.
Terms of Engagement: I recommend preparing your team in advance on the “terms of engagement.” The AAR must be purposefully organized so that all participants feel confident in sharing their real experiences.
Here are some sample Terms of Engagement you can build upon:
No shaming, no blaming
No experts, and no wrong answers
Aim for consensus, settle for clarification
Utilize Yes/And … and Both/And thinking
Comments provided will not be correlated with the name of the person sharing the feedback (to ensure anonymity if the documented after action session is shared widely or made public)
Participation shall be agreed to, either during the session, or in another method (audio, video, in writing) outside of the session
Emotional and Mental Support
It is extremely likely that you and your team members have a range of emotions attached to the program or project, especially if there are goodbyes for consultants or team members whose time is ending with your organization.
Acknowledge the emotional aspects of sunsetting a program and provide space for team members to express their feelings. I recommend utilizing the Emotion Wheel from Abby VanMuijen to help your team process and identify the wide range of emotions they may be experiencing.
It’s also wise to discuss as a group what your conflict resolution measures will be, as big emotions and important programs can bring up tension and potential conflict.
Incorporating Your After Action Review Into Future Knowledge and Leaving Well
The most immediate way your AAR turns into established organizational knowledge is in your follow-up. Plan a follow-up session or report to summarize the findings of the after-action review, outline how the insights gained will be applied in the future, and determine what you’d like to do with the final documentation.
An after-action review in a nonprofit or social impact organization is a powerful tool for reflecting on the successes and challenges of a program or project, enabling the team to capture valuable insights and lessons learned. Over time, the practice of AARs can foster an organizational culture of continuous improvement by identifying what worked well and what could be enhanced. The AAR also ensures that future initiatives benefit from past experiences (P.S. Make sure you make a plan to actually put these findings to good use with future initiatives).
A final benefit to conducting an after-action review is to embed the concept of Leaving Well into your program design and project structures. By thoughtfully closing the loop and intentionally saying goodbye, your organization strengthens its ability to adapt, innovate, and better serve your community moving forward.
Discover your organization’s natural relationship to change and transition with the Workplace Transition Archetype Assessment.
Get in touch to learn how we can support your team with an after action review strategy.
Listen to Episode 54 of the Leaving Well Podcast: After Action Reviews and Leaving Well.