Post-Project Evaluation and Lessons Learned

Lessons learned could be used on construction of all types in order to improve quality, avoid change orders and claims, and to control schedule and budget. An evaluation of the construction after its completion can help the organization to acquire lessons learned. However, some organizations do not see the benefit of this post-construction phase and end up ignoring it. The transportation management plan (TMP) is a document that includes strategies to help manage the work zone and secure the safety of workers and traveling public during highway construction. This document could also have a post-project evaluation with the same purpose as the post-construction evaluation. This study investigated twenty-six state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), through survey and interviews, to determine if the DOTs track TMP changes, perform post-project evaluations, and if there is a transfer of the lessons learned regarding TMPs. It was found that a majority of the agencies track the changes and perform the evaluation. However, only seven DOTs have a template to develop the evaluation, and many times the template might not be used due to vagueness or different employees’ interpretation. Moreover, most of the DOTs have an informal transfer of lessons learned, which does not guarantee a document for them. Based on this study, the results indicate that the three major problems encountered by the DOTs to develop the post-project evaluation are lack of personnel, lack of structured process review, and lack of resources. The problem with having the evaluation and not transferring lessons learned formally is that the knowledge ends up being personal rather than organizational. Overall, this study shows the necessity of a structured process across the country for the development of TMPs evaluation and transfer of lessons, and the obstacles the DOTs currently have to develop them.