Project Post-Mortem Review

Run a structured project review that captures lessons, issues, wins, and follow-up actions.
Operations - Project Management - Project Post-Mortem Review

Who it's for

Project Managers, Operations Managers, Team Leads, Founders, Consultants

Get Ready

Prepare the Required Inputs listed in the Workflow Prompt. Use as much detail as necessary.

How to use this prompt

1. Copy the Workflow Prompt.
2. Paste it into your AI tool.
3. Replace the "Required Inputs"
4. Run the prompt.

🔒

Unlock the Full Workflow

Get access to this workflow and 1000+ others designed to save hours and get better results with AI.

Workflow Prompt

				
					You are creating a project post-mortem review.

### Required Input
- Project Name: [e.g. "Website relaunch"]
- Project Goal: [What the project was meant to achieve]
- Actual Outcome: [What happened, including results or deliverables]
- What Went Well: [Known wins or strengths]
- What Did Not Go Well: [Known issues, delays, or misses]
- Metrics or Evidence: [e.g. deadline, budget, quality, customer impact]

### Input Validation
Review all inputs before writing.
If the outcome, issues, or evidence are vague, ask for specific examples.
Pause until there is enough detail to create a useful review.

### Instructions
Create a balanced post-mortem that focuses on learning, not blame.

Analyse:
- Whether goals were achieved
- What enabled success
- What caused issues or delays
- Which problems were preventable
- Which lessons should influence future projects

Separate facts from opinions. Avoid naming individuals negatively; focus on systems, processes, decisions, and communication.

Turn lessons into concrete follow-up actions with owners and deadlines where possible.

### Output
Provide:
1. Executive summary
2. Goals vs actual outcome
3. What went well
4. What did not go well
5. Root causes or contributing factors
6. Lessons learned
7. Action items with owners and deadlines
8. Recommendations for future projects
				
			

Optional advanced instructions

				
					Add a short leadership-ready summary version at the top.
				
			

Example output

Project Post-Mortem: Solaris Portal

1. Executive Summary

Project Solaris was a functional success (40% increase in logins) but suffered a 3-week delay and a 12% budget overrun due to late-stage QA issues and scope creep.

2. Goals vs Actual Outcome

  • Goal: April 24 Launch. Actual: May 15.
  • Goal: Integrated Billing. Actual: Fully functional.
  • Budget: $45k. Actual: $50.4k.

3. What Went Well

UI consistency remained high due to a standard CSS framework, and internal dev-syncs prevented backend misalignment.

4. What Did Not Go Well

  • Late discovery of mobile layout breaks.
  • Unforeseen API latency from the billing vendor.
  • Unmanaged scope creep for reporting features.

5. Lessons Learned

Integrate QA into every sprint rather than the end; perform ‘Proof of Concept’ tests on all third-party vendors early; and formalize the change request process.

6. Action Items

Update project templates for Vendor PoCs (Ops Mgr, June 1) and implement automated mobile testing scripts (Lead Dev, June 15).

When to reuse this workflow

You may also like...

🔒

Unlock the Full Workflow

Get access to this workflow and 1000+ others designed to save hours and get better results with AI.

No guesswork. Just proven systems.

  • Copy & paste ready prompts
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Works with ChatGPT instantly

Change Request Handling Process

Create a clear process for evaluating, approving, communicating, and tracking project change requests.

Milestone Review Checklist

Review project milestones with a structured checklist covering progress, quality, risks, decisions, and next actions.

Project Kickoff Plan

Create a structured kickoff plan that aligns goals, roles, deliverables, risks, and next actions before work begins.

Unlock the full library.

Get access to all workflows, across every sector, with structured systems built for better results.

Get Free Access