One of the final events in a project, the lessons learned activity offers opportunities to gain new insight from the completed project and to improve both the team member's and the organization's project performance. However, due to the timing of this activity and its perceived value, this step is often skipped or conducted without the rigor it deserves. In this presentation, the lessons learned activity is described and its role in improving an organization's project maturity is argued.
Dr. Brandon Olson holds a Ph.D. in Information Technology with a specialization in Project Management and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Dr. Olson is an Associate Professor and chair of the Computer Information Systems department at the College of St. Scholastica. In his role at St. Scholastica, he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Computer Information Systems, IT Leadership, and Project Management. Dr. Olson has several published works and presents on topics in project management, portfolio management, and knowledge management. Prior to his tenure at St. Scholastica, he was employed as a project manager leading software development projects in the business services, telecommunications, hospitality, healthcare, and pharmaceutical fields. Dr. Olson also currently manages the Duluth-Superior Outreach program for the Minnesota chapter of the Project Management Institute.
