How to Write an After Action Report: Step-by-step Guide & Template
After action reports are crucial in business to make an improvement in a certain process. There are several basic terms that we should know before writing an after action review. Firstly, we should make our aims clear and so on…
Table of Content
1- What is an After Action Report?
2- What is included in an after-action Report?
3- 3 Proven Actions to Create Great After Action Review
4- How to write an After Action Review?
5- After Action Report Template
6. FAQs
1- What is an After Action Review?
Firstly, after action reviews are a precious tool for companies. It helps to assess and evaluate a process, event, or product. In this way, you can identify the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities that you can amplify. Also, you can make a performance evaluation.
Secondly, there are 2 different after action review styles:
- Recreational AAR
- Analytical AAR
A- Recreational AAR
As you can guess, recreational AAR is to conduct a specific event that you just finished. It can be held by a group of people or just with a just specialist. You can include the experiences of the stakeholders of the event. This means, you can talk to people who joined the event and you can gather their experiences for the after action report. It is also a great opportunity to understand what customers want. You can easily find interesting insights which you can use to improve the next events.
B- Analytical AAR
Secondly, analytical AAR is more formal and focuses on business report ways. If the company you work for might have some strict rules while writing reports. As I have noted, these rules can be implemented in analytical after action reviews. Moreover, you can gather feedback about a process. On the other hand, AAR ( after action review) format should be created with analysis and the document follow a specific framework.
2- What is included in an after-action Report?
Depends on whichever you choose as an after-action review style, can be different but still, there are some variations that you can add to both of the after-action reviews. A simple after-action review should consist of several components.
In brief, these components are: Introduction, context, observations, analysis, time frame, goals, recommendations, and conclusion. The components of the after action review should create a frame to work on and give critical insights. Also, the specialist who writes the after action review should reach specific goals with their advice.
3- 3 Proven Actions to Create Great After-Action Report
As you know, an analytical after action review is aiming to improve the overall results of a specific process or product. In addition to this, there are some proven actions to create great after action reports.
A- The Key Insights
First of all, the key insights make any AAR reviews unique. The key insights can be reached by analyzing the specific details or making AAR meetings with customers. Also, a detailed search of the data can be helpful.
B- Clear and Reachable Goals
Secondly, while you are creating an after action review, you should add clear and reachable goals. If you can reach your goals within the report, your reports make sense and look desirable.
C- Framing
Lastly, For the same reason with goals, you have to have specific framing. Such as, you should have a specific time and improvement process. These improvement processes and report time frame can make your after action review beneficial.
4- How to write an After-Action Review?
In spite of, different after-action reports can be written in different ways, they both have some basic structure that you should add to your report. Still, all after action reviews have some similarities.
Step 1 – Overview
First of all, you should add your overview of the process or the event. The overview consists of general information. For instance, you should add the project name, scope, start and finish date, time frame, description, goal, and objectives.
– This overview is created on After Action Report Template by Someka –
Step 2 – Stakeholders
Secondly, stakeholders are an important part of any strengths or weaknesses of a project. You should create a stakeholders’ section within the after action report. Also, you should analyze them objectively to create a successful after action report.
Step 3 – After Action Report
Thirdly, the main part is after the action report comes. After action reports consist of several questions. The questions should cover every part of the process or event. Answers can give you key insights or the actions.
Step 4 – Conclusion
Next, the conclusion is where you finalize the after action report. In this part, you should create a short, easy-to-understand section for the readers. The readers should understand the main idea if they only read the conclusion. In big companies, most supervisors first read the conclusion to understand what’s in the after action report.
Step 5 – The Action List
Lastly, the action list is a detailed pathway to successfully improve the process or event. Despite you already write a conclusion, you should create a detailed pathway to implement your achievements.
5- After Action Report Template
Firstly, Someka’s After Action Report Template consists of 5 different sections. The sections are overview, stakeholders, after action report, conclusion, and the action list.
– This list is taken from After Action Report Template by Someka –
Thanks to its design, you won’t need the think about the general design or standard information or questions. There are already 11 different questions on after action report.
– This image is from After Action Report Template by Someka –
Next, with its unique model, you can change the status and add an action number for each action. You can easily follow up with your after action report status.
Also, you can specify each department and stakeholder. There is a section where you can add the responsibilities of the departments. Afterward, you can add a person’s name for the responsibilities.
6- FAQs
What are the 4 parts of an AAR?
Generally, the 4 main parts of an AAR are overview, after action report, action list, and conclusion.
How do you write a good after action report?
There are 3 important actions that you implement to your after action report. Firstly, you should find key insights. Secondly, you should have clear and reachable goals. Lastly, you should have a frame for the study.
How long should an AAR be?
It depends on the depth of work but it should be at least 2 pages.
What is the main focus of the AAR?
The main focus is to improve a process or an event’s quality.
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