Lessons learned practices: Case study of a leading Irish construction organization

The implementation of lessons learned (LL) practices within construction organizations are viewed as an important part of knowledge management (KM), having the potential to improve the outcomes of a project. PJ Hegarty & Sons, a leading Irish construction organization, has recently implemented such practices as part of the Engineers Ireland Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation scheme. The purpose of this paper is to identify and evaluate the adopted practices, which include a LL database, supported by LL seminars. Adopting a case study methodology, a survey and in-depth interviews with a broad spectrum of management and professional staff was conducted, including a director, project managers, quantity surveyors, foremen and engineers. It was found that the delivery of LL requires careful consideration of its intended users. In addition to integrating LL practices into existing organizational procedures, notification of new lessons and continuous training on the use of the database are required. Delivery of LL seminars should be focused at project-level and conducted on site to support both individual and organizational learning. The use of both technology and face-to-face interaction is important in the success of LL, particularly in aligning individual learning with that of the organization.