Lessons Learned Worksheet

Capture knowledge from ISMS implementation, audits, incidents, and improvement activities to prevent repeating mistakes and scale successes.

When to Complete Lessons Learned

• After major security incidents
• Following audit completion (internal or external)
• At project milestones
• After significant changes
• Quarterly as part of ISMS review
• Annually for comprehensive review

Part 1: Event/Project Information

Title: _______________________________________

Date/Period: _______________________________________

Type:

• Incident Response
• Audit (Internal/External)
• Implementation Project
• Process Change
• Other: __________

Participants: _______________________________________

Facilitator: _______________________________________

Part 2: What Happened?

Objective

What were you trying to accomplish?

What Actually Happened

Brief timeline and key events:

Outcomes

What were the results (good and bad)?

Part 3: Analysis

What Went Well?

List things that worked effectively:

Why did these things work well?

What Went Wrong?

List things that didn't work or caused problems:

Why did these things go wrong?

What Was Surprising?

Unexpected events or outcomes:

Part 4: Lessons Learned

Lesson #1

What we learned: _______________________________________

Why it matters: _______________________________________

How to apply it: _______________________________________

Who needs to know: _______________________________________

Lesson #2

What we learned: _______________________________________

Why it matters: _______________________________________

How to apply it: _______________________________________

Who needs to know: _______________________________________

Lesson #3

What we learned: _______________________________________

Why it matters: _______________________________________

How to apply it: _______________________________________

Who needs to know: _______________________________________

Part 5: Action Items

Part 6: Knowledge Sharing

Documentation Updates:

• Update procedure: _______________________________________
• Revise policy: _______________________________________
• Create template: _______________________________________
• Update training materials: _______________________________________

Communication Plan:

• Share with team
• Present at management review
• Add to security newsletter
• Include in training program
• Share with other departments

Part 7: Success Replication

If successful, how can we repeat it?

Success factors: _______________________________________

Can this approach be used for:

• Similar projects
• Different departments
• Related processes

Steps to replicate:

Part 8: Metrics and Evidence

Supporting Evidence:

• Screenshots/documentation attached
• Metrics report attached
• Timeline document attached

Part 9: Continuous Improvement Link

Corrective Actions Generated:

• CAR#: __________ - Description: _______________________________

Improvements Registered:

• IMP#: __________ - Description: _______________________________

Risk Assessment Impact:

• New risks identified
• Existing risks re-evaluated
• Controls updated

Part 10: Sign-Off

Completed by: _______________________ Date: ___________

Reviewed by: _______________________ Date: ___________

Approved by: _______________________ Date: ___________

Congratulations! You've completed Module 7: Continuous Improvement.

You've earned the "Evolution Master" badge and 500 XP bonus!

Key Takeaways:

• Nonconformities are learning opportunities, not failures
• Root cause analysis prevents recurrence
• Incidents should drive systematic improvements
• Continual improvement is proactive, not just reactive
• Document and share lessons learned
• Track improvement effectiveness

Next Module: The Certification Battle - Prepare to face the auditors and achieve certification!