Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Compressed AAR PPT 520 2008
Compressed AAR PPT 520 2008
and
Incident Management
Objectives
1. Understand the concept of the After Action Review
(AAR) and Organizational Learning.
2. Facilitate a unit or Section level AAR.
3. Understand the concept of a multiechelon (IMT)
AAR.
4. Identify how to capture Lessons Learned from
AARs.
The Team After Action Review
How to deal with the end of
the incident
• It is no longer about
surviving tomorrow, team
dynamics is now the
focus
• As in the unitlevel AAR,
those organizational
learning gems must be
captured and passed
forward
The Team AAR
The Team AAR
requires us to pull
some altitude (see
things from a higher
level of abstraction)
Build upon what
you learned during
daily AARs
The Team After Action Review
Ideally, information garnered from the
lowest level is filtered and passed up
the chain of command.
Camp Crew Logistics Section
IMT Agency Lessons Learned
This is organizational learning in action or
as identified by one member of the
Steering Committee; the “Cascading AAR”.
During the Incident
On the YoYo Fire 24 structures are lost in one Operational
Period.
• IHC AAR determines
handline production was
too slow for fire spread
• DIVS AAR determines
dozers could have
constructed control lines
much faster. Dozers are
ordered and arrive 24 hrs
later
PostIncident
At the end of the YoYo Fire
• Ops Section AAR determines
dozers should have been on
pre order and authorized
sooner
• Team AAR determines dozers
were not authorized in
Delegation. Modifications and
signatures delayed dozers by
24 hours
• Agency AAR identifies use of
dozers should have been
authorized in Delegation of
Authority
The Team After Action Review
As the level of
abstraction decreases
(moving up the chain
of command).
Section Chiefs will
have to shift from
tactical to strategic.
How to Conduct The Sectionlevel
After Action Review
• The job is not done
until you conduct an
AAR
• Unit logs and other
records may be useful
• Get as many people
together as possible
(for those that must
work, collect the info
beforehand)
The Team After Action Review
• The
recommendations
identified at the
module and unit level
should be brought to
the Sectionlevel
AARs
• The Section level
AAR is built off the
findings from the daily
AARs
The Sectionlevel After Action
Review
• Keep it relaxed but keep it professional
(beer and pizza do not work)
• Decide what stays in Vegas and what
you carry forward
• Identify three to five items to share with
the team
• Focus on the appropriate level of
abstraction
Walking the line between what “stays in
Vegas” and what is shared outside of your group
is instrumental in maintaining the integrity of the
AAR.
Abstraction and Vegas examples:
§ The agency’s policy is flawed
§ Hot and dry weather contributed to
extreme fire behavior
§ The folks in communications need to
be more professional on the radio
§ Our new meeting schedule worked well
The Team After Action Review
Ask these two questions
before you pass along
information from an AAR
ü Will sharing this information makes us
a better team? = Internal
ü Will sharing this information contribute
to organizational learning? = External
The Four Questions
The Four Question AAR
format has less
meaning
meaning …
Too much time has passed and
too many “Actions” have
transpired. The focus should be
on what worked and what didn’t
work.
The Team After Action Review
• Allowing each Section to present their 35
significant findings is a proven method and
saves time
• If possible, all team members should attend.
However, it is not realistic for the everyone in the
group to participate (everyone has already had a
chance to engage)
• Do allow discussion on the findings and if
needed, revert back to the four question format
for clarification on a specific issue
The Team After Action Review
Two products are produced
• The combined Internal findings from the Section
breakouts need to be agreed upon and then
developed into a Team Action Plan for future
assignments.
• External Lessons Learned collected from the
Team closeout should be compiled and passed
along to the agency administrator as part of the
closeout package.
The Closeout
• “You guys are great, no you guys are great…”
• Do you want to be an agent of change?
• As mentioned earlier, a closeout format will be
available as a standard IMT product
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned
Center and the AAR Rollup
www.wildfirelessons.net
• Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
Library
• Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
Center Library Browse
The AAR Rollup
After Action Reviews conducted at the team level will benefit from a few
changes in the four questions.
For a team AAR, the suggested focus points are:
(1) What was the most notable success that others may learn from?
(2) What were the most difficult challenges and how were they
overcome?
(3) What changes, additions or deletions are recommended to the
wildland fire training curriculum?
(4) What are your recommendations for any unresolved issues?
Objectives
1. Understand the concept of the After Action Review
(AAR) and Organizational Learning.
2. Facilitate a unit or Section level AAR.
3. Understand the concept of a multiechelon (IMT)
AAR.
4. Identify how to capture Lessons Learned from
AARs.