---

name: ring:pmo-retrospective description: | Portfolio retrospective skill for capturing lessons learned, process improvements, and organizational learning across completed projects.

trigger: |

• Project closure requiring retrospective
• Portfolio period review (quarterly/annual)
• Process improvement initiative
• Pattern of issues recurring

skip_when: |

• Sprint retrospective → team-level, not PMO
• Technical post-mortem → use ring-dev-team
• Single incident analysis → handle in project scope

related: complementary: [portfolio-planning, project-health-check]

PMO Retrospective

Systematic capture and application of lessons learned at portfolio level.

Retrospective Types

Type	Trigger	Scope	Participants
Project Closure	Project completion/termination	Single project	Project team, sponsor, key stakeholders
Portfolio Period Review	Quarterly or annual	All projects in period	PMO, PMs, executives
Thematic	Recurring pattern observed	Projects sharing the pattern	Affected PMs, PMO, SMEs

Retrospective Gates

Gate 1: Context Setting

Define scope, participants, and gather data.

Output	Content
Scope statement	Type, projects included, timeframe
Participant list	Names and roles
Data package	Health reports, metrics, timeline, cost actuals
Scheduled sessions	Dates, format (in-person/remote)

Gate 2: Data Gathering (Pre-Session)

Collect inputs before the retrospective session:

• Survey participants: "What went well? What didn't? What should we change?"
• Extract quantitative metrics: SPI, CPI, schedule variance, defect rates
• Review project artifacts: health check reports, change log, risk register
• Compile timeline of key events

Gate 3: Analysis Session

Facilitate structured discussion:

Retrospective Canvas:

| Went Well ✅ | Challenges ❌ | Root Causes 🔍 | Improvements 💡 |
|-------------|--------------|----------------|----------------|
| [items]     | [items]      | [causes]       | [actions]      |

Root Cause Analysis (for challenges):

• 5 Whys technique for recurring issues
• Pattern identification across multiple projects
• Distinguish symptoms from root causes

Gate 4: Action Planning

For each improvement identified:

Action	Owner	Due Date	Success Metric	Priority
[Action]	[Name]	[Date]	[Measurable outcome]	High/Med/Low

Only commit to actions with clear owners and deadlines.

Gate 5: Knowledge Capture

Document findings in the PMO knowledge base:

File: docs/pmo/retrospectives/{YYYY-MM}-{type}-retrospective.md

# PMO Retrospective: {Type} — {Period/Project}
**Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD}
**Type:** Project Closure | Portfolio Period | Thematic
**Scope:** {Projects/Period}

## Summary
{2-3 sentences on key findings}

## What Went Well
- [item with evidence]

## Key Challenges
- [challenge + root cause]

## Lessons Learned
| Lesson | Context | Recommended Change |
|--------|---------|-------------------|
| [Lesson] | [When this applies] | [Process/template/checklist change] |

## Action Items
| Action | Owner | Due | Status |
|--------|-------|-----|--------|

## Patterns Identified (if recurring)
[Cross-project patterns that indicate systemic issues]

Gate 6: Organizational Learning

Apply lessons to PMO standards:

• Update process templates affected by lessons
• Update onboarding materials with new knowledge
• Schedule follow-up to verify action item completion
• Feed patterns into risk register for future projects

Output

Primary output: docs/pmo/retrospectives/{date}-retrospective.md Secondary output: Updated process templates, risk register entries, checklist improvements