AAR (After Action Review)
What does the term mean
Structured evaluation after the action/incident: what worked, what didn't and what we will change.
AAR is an improvement tool: it compares “plan vs reality” and pulls specific changes to the next action. It's the discipline that makes a system out of temp chaos.
Minimum questions
- What was the goal?
- What really happened?
- Why did the deviation occur?
- What will we keep / what will we cancel / what will we add?
Practical meaning
How AAR (After Action Review) applies to a real service
It makes sense mainly when it results in a specific procedure for an object, an event or a team on site.
When is the term resolved
AAR (After Action Review) is mainly handled in practice when briefing the team, preparing an event, evaluating an incident or setting rules for conflict situations.
Common mistakes in practice
The problem arises when the concept is described only in theory and the team does not have clear roles, a communication channel or a boundary for escalation.
What to do in practice
If the term applies to your real operation, it connects to Event security. That is where we deal with the specific space, scope, responsibility and next step before deployment.
Go to service