First, we can not always assume that those who claim to be learning organisations are necessarily so. I have learned that very often the most conceited and intolerant are the ones who congratulate themselves on their capacity to learn and tolerance of other views.
My crude answer is putting lessons to work is about strategies associated with incentives to do so - the organization should not only be accountable for the quality of evaluand objectives and their achievement but also for their adjustment as operating circumstances change; that is, accountability extends to accountability to learn.
My understanding of current practice, in relation to evaluations, in ensuring lessons learnt are taken heed of and put into practice is typically about:
a) the lessons learnt inform or are aligned with the recommendations - their consequences - lest they be missed altogether;
b) the recommendations are reflected in the "management" response; and
c) management actually implements them.
That's the theory and it defines much practice, yet a lot of this depends on who holds management to account in following through - to what extent are they accountable to learn?
Thanks again and best of luck moving forward with this.
RE: How to define and identify lessons learned?
United Kingdom
Daniel Ticehurst
Monitoring > Evaluation Specialist
freelance
Posted on 24/01/2023
Dear Emilia,
First, we can not always assume that those who claim to be learning organisations are necessarily so. I have learned that very often the most conceited and intolerant are the ones who congratulate themselves on their capacity to learn and tolerance of other views.
My crude answer is putting lessons to work is about strategies associated with incentives to do so - the organization should not only be accountable for the quality of evaluand objectives and their achievement but also for their adjustment as operating circumstances change; that is, accountability extends to accountability to learn.
My understanding of current practice, in relation to evaluations, in ensuring lessons learnt are taken heed of and put into practice is typically about:
a) the lessons learnt inform or are aligned with the recommendations - their consequences - lest they be missed altogether;
b) the recommendations are reflected in the "management" response; and
c) management actually implements them.
That's the theory and it defines much practice, yet a lot of this depends on who holds management to account in following through - to what extent are they accountable to learn?
Thanks again and best of luck moving forward with this.
Daniel