The implementation of Lessons Learned Process best practice by the armed forces of Ukraine: insights from the cutting-edge of academic scholarship on military learning
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Dyson, Tom and Tull, John 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1884-6904
(2026)
The implementation of Lessons Learned Process best practice by the armed forces of Ukraine: insights from the cutting-edge of academic scholarship on military learning.
Report.
Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.
(In Press)
Abstract
Several barriers impede the development of effective formal Lessons Learned Processes within armed forces, as revealed in the extensive scholarly literature on military learning. When lessons challenge key tenets of organisational culture, bureaucratic interests (such as a service’s autonomy or budget share), or when they are perceived by the senior leadership of services/their sub-organisations as a threat to their personal reputation, Lessons Learned Processes have found it difficult to achieve traction (Dyson, 2019, Hasselbladh and Yden 2019). The most recent and rigorous2 research on Lessons Learned Processes (e.g. Dyson, Tull and Van der Vorm, 2025; Dyson and Tull 2025) has highlighted the impact of eight interconnected problems affecting organisational learning, rooted in the day-to-day practices of military personnel across different communities within armed forces. These eight barriers block the integration of Lessons Learned Processes into the daily working life of military practitioners. This research shows that we should view these barriers from three interrelated dimensions: the Lessons Learned Process itself, the environing conditions for learning, and professional incentives. Absorptive capacity theory shows how to address these barriers through eight best practices, with a governance suggestion presented in our concluding remarks.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Report) |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | This is a CONFIDENTIAL report invited by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The introduction to the master report (of which ours is a separate annex) states: "The methodological foundation of the integrated analysis draws on contemporary academic research on organisational learning in military organisations, grounded in absorptive capacity theory. Within this framework, a distinction is made between potential absorptive capacity, which encompasses knowledge acquisition, management, and dissemination, and realised absorptive capacity, which refers to the transformation of knowledge into changes in organisational practice. Within this scholarly discourse, the works of Professor Tom Dyson (Royal Holloway, University of London) and Dr John Tull (University of Greenwich) are of particular significance. These scholars are leading experts in the analysis of Lessons Learned processes in military organisations. Their research provides a comprehensive examination of organisational learning models in the armed forces of the United Kingdom, Germany, Estonia, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Ukraine (Dyson, 2019; Dyson, 2020; Dyson & Pashchuk, 2022; Tull, Dyson & Pashchuk, 2024; Dyson & Tull, 2025; Dyson, Tull & van der Vorm, 2025). And, critically, these scholars developed and provided a comprehensive set of scientific advisory inputs and evidence-based recommendations aimed directly at improving the practices and mechanisms of organisational learning in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Their proposals are explicitly practice-oriented and focus on strengthening the institutional capacity of the AFU to absorb experience, enhancing the effectiveness of the Lessons Learned process, and ensuring its compatibility with advanced international models. Their studies combine advanced methodological approaches, including the analysis of LL processes, doctrinal documents, and managerial and organisational practices, with survey-based and interview-based research involving military personnel. This mixed-methods approach ensures the validity of the findings and enables the systematic identification of negative factors and broader trends shaping the development of organisational learning in the armed forces." |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Ukraine Armed Forces, Lessons Learned, Organisational Learning, military adaptation and innovation, absorptive capacity |
| Subjects: | U Military Science > U Military Science (General) |
| Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: | Greenwich Business School Greenwich Business School > Networks and Urban Systems Centre (NUSC) Greenwich Business School > School of Business, Operations and Strategy |
| Last Modified: | 10 Feb 2026 17:32 |
| URI: | https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/52454 |
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