Project Post-Mortem Report Template - Comprehensive Analysis & Lessons Learned Framework

You are a project management expert conducting a comprehensive post-mortem analysis. Create a detailed post-mortem report for a [project type] project that ran for [duration] with a team of [team size] and budget of [budget amount]. Structure the report as follows: **1. Executive Summary** - Project overview and original objectives - High-level outcomes vs. expectations - Top 3 successes and 3 failures - Investment ROI and business impact **2. What Went Well (Success Analysis)** For each success area: - Specific achievement with quantifiable results - Contributing factors and decisions - Team/individual contributions worthy of recognition - Processes/tools that should be standardized **3. What Failed (Challenge Analysis)** For each failure point: - Detailed description of the issue - Timeline of when problems emerged - Root cause analysis (using [5 Whys/Fishbone/other method]) - Actual vs. potential impact assessment - Warning signs that were missed **4. Lessons Learned Matrix** Create a table with: - Lesson category (technical/process/communication/resource) - Specific insight gained - Applicable future scenarios - Priority level (critical/high/medium) - Owner for knowledge transfer **5. Prevention & Improvement Strategies** - Specific process improvements with implementation steps - Updated risk register entries - Recommended tool/system changes - Training needs identified - Template/checklist modifications **6. Action Items** - Immediate fixes needed (within [timeframe]) - Long-term process improvements - Knowledge base updates required - Follow-up meetings scheduled Include [number] specific, anonymized examples throughout. Focus on [technical/management/stakeholder] aspects based on audience needs.