Ben SnapeWhat are post-mortems/post-project reviews
A post-mortem in UK architecture (often called a Post Project Review or PPR) is a structured, reflective process that happens once a building project reaches completion (typically after handover and occupation).
While “post-mortem” is the everyday term (especially in smaller practices and project-management circles), more formal UK terminology may include:
- Post Project Review (PPR)
- Lessons Learned Review / Lessons Learned Report
- Project Retrospective or Project Debrief
- Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) or Building Performance Evaluation
- End-of-Project Review or After-Action Review
- Soft Landings (a broader UK framework that includes extended post-handover support and review)
Post-mortems provide an opportunity for the entire project team of architects, engineers, contractors, clients, and other stakeholders to step back and honestly evaluate what happened, why it happened, and how to do it better next time.
In the UK architectural and construction context, a project post-mortem/post project review is a formal review of the entire project delivery process.
A PPR examines:
- How well the project was briefed, designed, procured, constructed, and handed over;
- performance against key indicators such as budget, programme, quality, communication and transparency, risk management, and collaboration;
- what worked well, what caused problems (e.g., design changes, variations, disputes, or handover issues), and the root causes.
A post-mortem is usually tied closely to the RIBA Plan of Work, with reviews structured around Stages 0–7.
A related (and sometimes overlapping) process is Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE), which focuses more on how the building itself performs in real-world use, and whether the original design objectives were met.
Many organisations run both as part of a single “post-project” process, but we suggest having a separate post-mortem discussion that would focus on the project management side of things more.
Benefits of running post-mortems
The construction and architecture industries are project-based and high-risk.
Every project is unique, yet mistakes (or brilliant solutions) often repeat across jobs.
Post-mortems exist to break that cycle of mistakes and drive continuous improvement.
Key reasons to run post-project reviews include:
Learning and knowledge capture
Teams document actionable lessons (e.g., “Better early stakeholder workshops prevented later briefing changes”) that feed straight into the next project’s Stage 0/1.
Lessons learned create a firm-specific “knowledge bank” that informs better designs.
Performance improvement
Identifying inefficiencies and bottlenecks in design, procurement, or collaboration leads to smoother delivery, fewer claims, and better profitability for practices.
By systematically analysing what went well and what didn’t, you identify repeatable efficiencies.
This allows you to reduce wasted hours on recurring problems, improve fee accuracy and resource forecasting on future bids, as well as lower the risk of disputes or claims.
Marketing edge
Anonymised insights from post-mortems can provide useful thought leadership content:
- Blog posts, white papers, or talks on “What we learned from delivering XYZ”.
- Data-backed case studies that showcase real outcomes (user wellbeing, cost savings, carbon reduction).
- Credibility in bids, especially for clients demanding POE or Soft Landings.
See our architecture marketing guide for more insights.
Client and building outcomes
The finished building has to actually work for its users (productivity, sustainability, and wellbeing) and close the “performance gap” between predicted and actual energy use.
Post-mortems demonstrate that you care about long-term outcomes, not just the handover. Clients appreciate evidence that the building performs as promised, which builds trust, leading to repeat commissions and framework appointments.
Many practices report that POE work extends relationships, sometimes turning one-off projects into multi-year partnerships. In the UK, this is particularly valuable for public-sector and institutional clients who value measured performance.
Stronger workplace culture
Reviews that focus on what happened give the team space to discuss problems, recognise good work and agree what to change.
This helps you attract top talent who value growth-oriented environments.
Professional and regulatory drivers
RIBA encourages feedback in Stage 7 (In Use). Public-sector clients, BREEAM schemes, and frameworks like Soft Landings often mandate or strongly recommend them. They also support risk reduction and professional development.
In short, post-mortems turn every completed project into a training ground for the next one, which makes practices more competitive, buildings more successful, and the industry more efficient overall.
In an era of tight margins, net-zero targets, client expectations for measurable performance, and increasing complexity, post-mortems are no longer a “nice-to-have.” They’re a competitive advantage.
Practices that systematically learn from every job deliver better buildings, stronger client relationships, lower professional indemnity risks, and healthier teams.
Running a post-project review
Post-mortems usually start 1–3 months after practical completion/handover (while memories are fresh) and may have a second review around 11–12 months later (end of the rectification/defects period). Full POE elements often run 12–36 months post-occupancy.
Format-wise, soft landings usually are a mix of questionnaires to the whole team, structured workshops, site walk-throughs, user surveys, energy/performance data analysis, and a final lessons-learned report.
Normally, the architect’s team, engineers, contractor, client representatives, facilities managers, and end-users are involved. An independent facilitator is sometimes used for larger or more sensitive projects (common in universities and public bodies).
Many UK architectural practices now run lighter internal versions even on private-sector jobs. These quick team debriefs are focused on fees, hours, client relationships, and process tweaks.
PlanMan for PPRs
PlanMan is a cloud-based project management platform built specifically for UK architects and town planners. It centralizes clients, projects, documents, communications, finances, and collaboration, so you can refer to those records during project reviews and post-occupancy evaluations.
Here’s how it can help architectural practices organize these evaluations more effectively, efficiently, and consistently:
1) PlanMan lets you break every project into clear, customizable stages (directly mirroring RIBA Stages 0–7). This makes it easy to schedule post-mortem activities as recurring or milestone tasks, which means no more scattered notes or forgotten reviews.
2) Centralized document & knowledge management: all project files, drawings, specifications, emails, site notes, survey data, energy monitoring reports, user surveys, and POE findings are stored securely against the specific client and project. During a post-mortem, the team can quickly pull up the full history (brief, changes, variations, issues log) without hunting through emails or shared drives.
3) Task, checklist & action tracking for reviews: use built-in task management to create standardized checklists for every post-mortem/POE. You can easily assign tasks to internal team members, co-consultants, or even clients, as well as track completion, deadlines, and responsibilities.
4) Collaboration & communication tools: invite co-consultants, contractors, clients, and facilities managers into the project with controlled permissions. All communications (emails, notes, comments) are logged centrally and can be accessed by any team member or department you wish. The client portal allows secure sharing of draft POE reports or performance data, increasing transparency and client buy-in.
5) Mobile & site-friendly access: architects and team members can access PlanMan (browser or app) on tablets or phones during site visits for POE walk-throughs, take notes/photos, and log issues in real time.
6) Financial & resource insights: link invoices and stage payments to review milestones, track time and resources spent on projects.
In short, PlanMan replaces fragmented spreadsheets, email threads, and shared folders with a single, secure, always-accessible system tailored to how UK architectural practices actually work.
Get your trial today and design your own project post-mortem workflow!