Improving After Action Review (AAR) Practice
Posted on June 28, 2005
Michael T. DeGrosky, Chief Executive Officer
The Guidance Group, Inc. AbstractThe After Action Review (AAR) is a process technique that uses a review of experience to avoid recurrent mistakes and reproduce success. Initially developed by the United States Army, many organizations have adopted the AAR; and military, governmental, industrial, and not-for-profit organizations have embraced and employ the process. The AAR has gained widespread acceptance among organizations whose personnel work in high-risk environments; those in which common human error can produce unacceptable consequences. Among those organizations, U.S. wildland fire agencies first began conducting AARs in the late 1990s, with the process entering this environment through an evolving leadership training curriculum. Today, a significant part of the wildland fire workforce now understands the purpose and intent of the AAR, and many fire units conduct some type of AAR process. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that effective AAR practice has not penetrated wildland fire operations as thoroughly as might be hoped, and too few resources are optimally conducting AARs. As a vehicle for capturing and learning from experience, the AAR provides an effective tool of continuous learning for the organization. It is within this organizational learning context that this paper suggests ways to improve AAR practice within wildland fire agencies, and advocates three strategic actions necessary to systematically and comprehensively use the AAR process in wildland fire agencies. Get more information about this in our 10-page PDF article.
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