THE AFTER ACTION THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW PROCESSREVIEW PROCESS

DOCTRINEDOCTRINE

Major R. KennedyMajor R. Kennedy

AIMAIM

TO DEVELOP A COMMON TO DEVELOP A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF THE AFTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW PROCESS, ITS INTENT, ACTION REVIEW PROCESS, ITS INTENT, KEY ELEMENTS AND THE APPLICATION KEY ELEMENTS AND THE APPLICATION OF THE PROCESS TO TRAINING AND OF THE PROCESS TO TRAINING AND OPERATIONSOPERATIONS

MAIN TEACHING POINTSMAIN TEACHING POINTS

• What is an After Action Review (AAR)What is an After Action Review (AAR)• TerminologyTerminology• The Army Lessons Learned ProcessThe Army Lessons Learned Process• Why Conduct AARWhy Conduct AAR• Key Elements of the AAR ProcessKey Elements of the AAR Process• The AAR Process and ConfirmationThe AAR Process and Confirmation• Steps of the AAR ProcessSteps of the AAR Process

REFERENCESREFERENCES

• Annex E to the Army Strategic Planning Annex E to the Army Strategic Planning Process – “The Army Lessons Learned Process – “The Army Lessons Learned Process”Process”

• CFP 300-8, “Training Canada’s Army, CFP 300-8, “Training Canada’s Army, Chapter 7Chapter 7

• After Action Review Aide-MemoireAfter Action Review Aide-Memoire

TERMINOLOGYTERMINOLOGY• CritiqueCritique – The critique is characterized by mainly – The critique is characterized by mainly

one-way flow of feedback about an individual’s or one-way flow of feedback about an individual’s or team’s performance. While the participants will team’s performance. While the participants will often be offered the opportunity to identify their own often be offered the opportunity to identify their own strengths and weaknesses, it is clearly understood strengths and weaknesses, it is clearly understood that the senior person involved in the critique stands that the senior person involved in the critique stands ready to fill in any gaps . The critique’s only ready to fill in any gaps . The critique’s only advantages are that it takes less time to conduct and advantages are that it takes less time to conduct and is useful when the participant’s ability to analyze is useful when the participant’s ability to analyze their own performance may be limited due to their own performance may be limited due to inexperience. Critiques should be the exception inexperience. Critiques should be the exception rather than the norm.rather than the norm.

TERMINOLOGYTERMINOLOGY

• DebriefDebrief – The process of retrieving information from – The process of retrieving information from returning patrols and aircrew. Also used commonly returning patrols and aircrew. Also used commonly in the Army to describe the process of providing in the Army to describe the process of providing feedback to an individual or a team about their feedback to an individual or a team about their performance. This term and critique are performance. This term and critique are interchangeable.interchangeable.

• Hot Wash-upHot Wash-up - The “quick and dirty” attempt after - The “quick and dirty” attempt after a training event to capture lessons. Normally does a training event to capture lessons. Normally does not allocate sufficient time or resources to permit a not allocate sufficient time or resources to permit a focussed discussion of what happened, why it focussed discussion of what happened, why it happened and how to improve. happened and how to improve.

THE ARMY LESSONS THE ARMY LESSONS LEARNED PROCESSLEARNED PROCESS

The Army Lessons Learned Process is the process by The Army Lessons Learned Process is the process by which the Army collects, analyzes, assimilates and which the Army collects, analyzes, assimilates and distributes Army, CF and Allied experiences as distributes Army, CF and Allied experiences as lessons. The intent of the process is to enable the lessons. The intent of the process is to enable the Army to profit from its own experiences and those of Army to profit from its own experiences and those of the CF and our Allies, with a view to avoiding the the CF and our Allies, with a view to avoiding the duplication of costly errors, particularly those duplication of costly errors, particularly those involving death or injury, of emulating success and involving death or injury, of emulating success and consistently improving its performance.consistently improving its performance.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES - ALLPMAJOR ACTIVITIES - ALLP• Determine Information Requirements Determine Information Requirements

(Lessons) for Future Activities(Lessons) for Future Activities • Collect, Analyze, Develop Lessons and Collect, Analyze, Develop Lessons and

Coordinate Staff ActionCoordinate Staff Action • Provide Direction to Assimilate Lessons Into Provide Direction to Assimilate Lessons Into

Doctrine, Trg, Acquisition of Equipment, etc Doctrine, Trg, Acquisition of Equipment, etc Archive and Disseminate Lessons, Provide Archive and Disseminate Lessons, Provide Feedback, Feedback, Follow-up Follow-up

• Incorporate Existing Lessons Into Planning for Incorporate Existing Lessons Into Planning for New ActivitiesNew Activities

THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW PROCESSPROCESS

• It is the process by which After Action Reviews It is the process by which After Action Reviews are planned, prepared, conducted and are planned, prepared, conducted and followed-up. Its intent is to allow the followed-up. Its intent is to allow the participants of a training event or an operation participants of a training event or an operation to to QUICKLYQUICKLY and and CONSISTENTLY LEARNCONSISTENTLY LEARN the most from their experiences. the most from their experiences.

WHAT IS AN AFTER WHAT IS AN AFTER ACTION REVIEW?ACTION REVIEW?

An After Action Review is a professional discussion of An After Action Review is a professional discussion of a training or operational event that focuses on a training or operational event that focuses on identifying what happened, why it happened and ways identifying what happened, why it happened and ways to improve.to improve.

TYPES OF AAR – TYPES OF AAR – DOCTRINAL CHANGE!!!DOCTRINAL CHANGE!!!

• AAR will not be identified by type. AAR will not be identified by type.

• Once the requirement for an AAR has been Once the requirement for an AAR has been identified, the timing, location, duration and identified, the timing, location, duration and the resources to be allocated, will be based on the resources to be allocated, will be based on availability, tempo, the complexity of the availability, tempo, the complexity of the learning objectives and the optimum number of learning objectives and the optimum number of participants. participants.

WHY CONDUCT AAR?WHY CONDUCT AAR?

LEARN MORE FROM OUR LEARN MORE FROM OUR TRAININGTRAINING

““There are two major objectives of training in There are two major objectives of training in Canada’s Army. The first is to leverage the greatest Canada’s Army. The first is to leverage the greatest amount of learning and improvement from any amount of learning and improvement from any training event.” “ training event.” “ The second is toThe second is todevelop in Canadian soldiers, at all levels, the ability develop in Canadian soldiers, at all levels, the ability to learn quickly during operations and toto learn quickly during operations and touse that knowledge touse that knowledge to not only improve performance not only improve performance but to seize the initiative. but to seize the initiative. ””

Chapter 7, Section 2, CFP 300-8 “Training Chapter 7, Section 2, CFP 300-8 “Training Canada’s Army”Canada’s Army”

LEARN TO LEARN FROM LEARN TO LEARN FROM EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE

““Increased tempo and dispersion on the battlefield Increased tempo and dispersion on the battlefield generate an increased requirement to learn quickly, generate an increased requirement to learn quickly, without direct supervision…soldiers and teams need without direct supervision…soldiers and teams need processes that allow them to objectively analyze their processes that allow them to objectively analyze their experiences and the factors that effected them … those experiences and the factors that effected them … those processes must enhance their ability to predict or processes must enhance their ability to predict or influence future events in their favour, thus enabling influence future events in their favour, thus enabling them to seize the INITIATIVE.” The ability of a team them to seize the INITIATIVE.” The ability of a team to analyze its own performance and to develop the to analyze its own performance and to develop the means to improve must be honed during training.means to improve must be honed during training.

Chapter 7, CFP 300-8, “Training Canada’s Army”Chapter 7, CFP 300-8, “Training Canada’s Army”

IN OUR BUSINESS, WE DON’T IN OUR BUSINESS, WE DON’T ALWAYS GET A SECOND ALWAYS GET A SECOND

CHANCE TO LEARN!!!CHANCE TO LEARN!!!

KEY ELEMENTSKEY ELEMENTS

• TIMELY FEEDBACK. Troops need feedback TIMELY FEEDBACK. Troops need feedback as soon as possible so that they can begin using as soon as possible so that they can begin using that information to begin learning and that information to begin learning and improving. The more objective and accurate improving. The more objective and accurate the feedback, the easier it is for them to the feedback, the easier it is for them to determine what happened and why it happened determine what happened and why it happened (ground truth).(ground truth).

FACTORS EFFECTING FACTORS EFFECTING TIMELY FEEDBACKTIMELY FEEDBACK

• TempoTempo. When is the right time to pause to . When is the right time to pause to provide feedback?provide feedback?

• SourceSource. The more objective the source, the . The more objective the source, the more readily the soldiers and the team will more readily the soldiers and the team will accept the feedback. Potential sources include:accept the feedback. Potential sources include:– Chain of commandChain of command

– Observer/ControllersObserver/Controllers

– OPFOROPFOR

– Weapons Effects Simulation and audio-visual Weapons Effects Simulation and audio-visual equipmentequipment

FACTORS EFFECTING FACTORS EFFECTING TIMELY FEEDBACKTIMELY FEEDBACK

• OpportunityOpportunity to utilize the feedback to improve. to utilize the feedback to improve. If no time or resources are allocated to make If no time or resources are allocated to make use of the feedback, then it will be wasted.use of the feedback, then it will be wasted.

KEY ELEMENTSKEY ELEMENTS

• ACTIVE PARTICIPATIONACTIVE PARTICIPATION. People learn . People learn more quickly when they are actively involved in more quickly when they are actively involved in identifying their own problems and developing identifying their own problems and developing their own solutions. In order for active their own solutions. In order for active participation to occur, time must be available participation to occur, time must be available and the participation must be encouraged.and the participation must be encouraged.

• An atmosphere must exist within the team that An atmosphere must exist within the team that encourages active participation. If team encourages active participation. If team members believe that their input is not members believe that their input is not welcome, will not be acted upon or that welcome, will not be acted upon or that “disagreement equals disloyalty,” then it will be “disagreement equals disloyalty,” then it will be difficult to generate active participation.difficult to generate active participation.

WAYS TO ENCOURAGE WAYS TO ENCOURAGE ACTIVE PARTICIPATIONACTIVE PARTICIPATION

• Make sure there is lots of time for discussionMake sure there is lots of time for discussion• Include as many members from the team in the Include as many members from the team in the

AAR as possible.AAR as possible.• Ask open ended questionsAsk open ended questions• Share the discussion timeShare the discussion time• Let the team do the talking. If the Let the team do the talking. If the

Observer/Controller is talking more than the Observer/Controller is talking more than the team members, its probably a critique, not an team members, its probably a critique, not an AAR!AAR!

KEY ELEMENTS KEY ELEMENTS cont’dcont’d

• FOCUSSED DISCUSSION. The discussion FOCUSSED DISCUSSION. The discussion must be focussed on what happened, why it must be focussed on what happened, why it happened and how to improve. The AAR must happened and how to improve. The AAR must focus on solutions, not just problems. focus on solutions, not just problems. Improvements must be based on doctrine.Improvements must be based on doctrine.

WAYS TO FOCUS THE WAYS TO FOCUS THE DISCUSSIONDISCUSSION

• Avoid using the question “So, how did you Avoid using the question “So, how did you think that went?” Use a key event and look at think that went?” Use a key event and look at what happened, why it happened and how to what happened, why it happened and how to improveimprove

• Orient the discussion to their application of Orient the discussion to their application of doctrine to the tactical situation doctrine to the tactical situation

• Keep the discussion focused on the team’s Keep the discussion focused on the team’s performance, not that of othersperformance, not that of others

KEY ELEMENTSKEY ELEMENTS

• FOLLOW-UPFOLLOW-UP. The participants must be . The participants must be provided with the opportunity to put the provided with the opportunity to put the solutions that they have developed into practice solutions that they have developed into practice so they can demonstrate to themselves and so they can demonstrate to themselves and their chain of command that they have learned their chain of command that they have learned and improved. This builds confidence and and improved. This builds confidence and team cohesion.team cohesion.

THE AAR AND THE AAR AND CONFIRMATION??CONFIRMATION??

• The AAR and confirmation are EXCLUSIVE The AAR and confirmation are EXCLUSIVE activities.activities.

• Active participation will not occur if the participants Active participation will not occur if the participants feel that their remarks will be used against them or feel that their remarks will be used against them or their leaders.their leaders.

• If the intent is to learn from a confirmation event as If the intent is to learn from a confirmation event as well as to assign a grade or mark, the grade or mark well as to assign a grade or mark, the grade or mark will be assigned prior to the start of the AAR.will be assigned prior to the start of the AAR.

THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW PROCESSPROCESS

AFTER ACTION REVIEWAFTER ACTION REVIEW

DEMONSTRATIONDEMONSTRATION