Product Overview

Summary: This Post Project Evaluation Standard Operating Procedure provides a clear, repeatable framework for reviewing projects once delivery is complete. It helps Australian organisations capture lessons learned, measure outcomes against WHS, budget and schedule targets, and turn project experience into practical improvements for future work.

The Post Project Evaluation Standard Operating Procedure is designed to formalise how your organisation closes out projects and captures value from every job, contract or internal initiative. Rather than rushing straight into the next project, this SOP guides teams through a structured review of what worked, what didn’t, and how well the project met its objectives, including WHS, quality, cost, schedule and stakeholder expectations. It is suitable for construction, engineering, government, healthcare, education, ICT and professional services environments operating under Australian WHS and governance requirements.

By implementing this SOP, you create a consistent and defensible approach to project close-out across the business. The document outlines how to plan and run evaluation meetings, gather input from workers and subcontractors, review incident and near-miss data, analyse budget and schedule performance, and document lessons learned in a way that can be reused on future projects. It directly supports continuous improvement, risk management and WHS due diligence obligations by ensuring that key insights are not lost when teams disband or when staff move on.

This SOP also helps bridge the gap between project delivery and organisational strategy. It includes guidance on measuring benefits realisation, aligning outcomes with contractual and regulatory requirements, and feeding recommendations into your risk register, WHS management system and project management framework. The result is a practical, easy-to-follow process that strengthens governance, improves safety and performance over time, and provides clear evidence of review and improvement for clients, auditors and regulators.

Key Benefits

• Standardise how post project reviews are planned, conducted and documented across the organisation.
• Ensure WHS performance, incidents and near misses are systematically reviewed and translated into preventive actions.
• Reduce repeat mistakes by capturing, storing and sharing lessons learned in a structured and accessible format.
• Strengthen evidence of due diligence and continuous improvement for audits, client reporting and regulatory scrutiny.
• Improve future project outcomes by feeding evaluation findings into planning, risk assessments and design decisions.

Who is this for?

• Project Managers
• Program Managers
• Operations Managers
• WHS Managers
• Construction Managers
• Engineering Managers
• ICT Project Leads
• Business Improvement Managers
• PMO (Project Management Office) Staff
• Directors and Senior Executives
• Local Government Project Officers
• HSEQ Managers

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Terms
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 Triggers and Timing for Post Project Evaluation
• 5.0 Pre-Evaluation Preparation and Data Collection
• 6.0 Review of WHS Performance, Incidents and Near Misses
• 7.0 Review of Cost, Schedule, Quality and Scope Outcomes
• 8.0 Stakeholder and Client Feedback Process
• 9.0 Conducting the Post Project Evaluation Meeting
• 10.0 Identifying Lessons Learned and Improvement Opportunities
• 11.0 Documenting Findings and Recommendations
• 12.0 Integration with WHS, Risk and Quality Management Systems
• 13.0 Communication, Knowledge Sharing and Record Keeping
• 14.0 Follow-Up Actions, Owners and Timeframes
• 15.0 Continuous Improvement and Periodic Review of this SOP
• 16.0 Appendices – Templates, Checklists and Sample Evaluation Agenda

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and model Work Health and Safety Regulations (as implemented in each state and territory)
• Safe Work Australia – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Code of Practice
• AS/NZS ISO 9001:2016 Quality management systems – Requirements
• AS ISO 21502:2020 Project, programme and portfolio management – Guidance on project management
• AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018 Risk management – Guidelines