Session Flow · 15-minute quick debrief to 2-hour project review

After Action Review (AAR)

A structured debrief developed by the US Army in which a team compares what was planned with what happened, works out why, and decides what to do differently. It is held soon after an event and treats the result as a learning question rather than a verdict on anyone.

When to use After Action Review (AAR)

Debriefs right after a project, launch, event, incident or exercise; any review that must produce lessons without blame.

How After Action Review (AAR) works

Use the four questions as the blocks of a debrief or evaluation meeting right after a project, event or incident. For a longer review, give the 'why' block the most time.

Phases of After Action Review (AAR)

  1. What Was Supposed to Happen: Restate the original goal, plan and standard so everyone agrees on what success would have looked like.
  2. What Actually Happened: Reconstruct events in order from facts and different viewpoints, without judging yet.
  3. Why It Was Different: Explore the gaps between plan and reality and look for causes in conditions and decisions, not in people.
  4. What to Sustain and Improve: Agree what to keep doing and what to change next time, as specific actions with owners.

Key principles

  • Held soon after the event
  • Facts before interpretation
  • Focus on causes, not culprits
  • Everyone participates regardless of rank
  • Ends in concrete lessons and actions

Best for

  • Project and event debriefs
  • Incident reviews
  • Team learning after a milestone
  • Operations and emergency teams

Considerations

  • Breaks down quickly if it turns into finding someone to blame
  • A senior person dominating will distort the account of what happened
  • Lessons need a follow-up owner or they are lost
  • Wording of the fourth question varies across guides

Attribution & sources

Developed by the US Army, 1970s

Primary source

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