Completed after-action review example — Monitoring Toolkit

Snapshot of the April 2024 edition · U.S. Department of State (R/PPR) · Public domain · Unabridged · State's internal edition is authoritative over this copy

AAR for Youth Ambassadors Exchange, November 13, 2023
Participants in AAR: Public Engagement team, Strategic Content Coordination, PAO, CAO
Background resources/links: Monitoring plan with three -month survey and alumni survey feedback
After-action review : What did we do and what did we learn?
1. What did we expect to happen?
Participants improve their attitudes toward the United States. Participants regularly communicate with other YA network members Participants collaborate on projects with other YA network alumni
2. What actually happened?
There was no improvement in attitudes toward the United States More participants regularly communicated with YA network members than expected. Participants didn’t collaborate with each other as much as expected.
3. What caused the difference between 1 and 2?
Participants didn’t improve attitudes towards the United States. because they were already highly positive before the exchange. Participants appreciated the opportunities posted in the alumni networks on social media platforms and communicated with each other there and through informal chat groups. Participants did not collaborate as much with other network members as expected due to lack of time and in-person meetings.
Action Plan: What Are We Going To Do?
4. Based on what worked and what didn’t work, what will we do the same or differently the next time?
Things to keep doing: Continue promoting and engaging with alumni on online platforms and generating incentives to participate online Things to change for next time: Change the recruitment strategy
5. What do we need to do in the short-term? (who? what? when?)
Program staff to develop a revised recruitment strategy (by March 2024)
6. What should we consider doing in the medium-term? (who? what? when?)
Program staff to work with implementing partners to design leadership and civic engagement skills assessments (September 2024) Program staff to identify a timeline and selection criteria to interview alumni on long-term outcomes (October 2024) PD section to use the annual alumni survey feedback to update to alumni engagement strategy. (November 2024) PD section to meet to discuss alumni engagement best practices to apply to other PD activities (November 2024)
7. What should we consider not doing? (and why not?)
Recruiting at American centers, as visitors already have highly positive attitudes toward the United States. Instead - focus recruitment at other youth centers not currently being engaged by post.