After three fascinating days, the NATO Lessons Learned Conference 2021 (NLLC21) has come to a close. We started the third day with a brief introduction by Mr Stefan Olaru and then quickly dove into the four Break-Out Sessions which covered (1) Standardization in Lessons Learned, (2) Improvement and Innovation in Lessons Learned, (3) Collection and Exploitation of Lessons Learned in Exercises, and (4) Future Leaders’ Perspectives.

The sessions allowed the audience to take on a more active role as they engaged with the facilitators and each other using innovative collaboration tools and topical presentations to maximize engagement and ideas-sharing within the Conference Community.

The key takeaways from the sessions were presented by the facilitators of the break-out sessions in the final plenary session of the event which was preceded by a short summary of some key conference statistics.

The last day of the conference concluded with the closing remarks of the JALLC’s Commander, Brigadier General Bogdan Cernat. The Commander offered some insightful points on the past three days, noting that, although NATO responded effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic, the underlying feeling throughout the event was that we could do it better next time if we learn the lessons now.

He also stated that, as noted at the beginning of the event, while leadership is critical to Lessons Learned, the engagement of the NATO Lessons Learned Community is in itself critical to that leadership being impactful.  He went on to refer back to his welcome speech at the start of the conference and his remarks on the need to shape NATO’s organizational culture to make Lessons Learned a reality at all levels. In this context he noted that the general undertone of the event has been that the time indeed seems to be right to look at the Lessons Learned culture and move towards a mind-set of accepting that failure is a part of the learning and innovation process.

 

Finally, he highlighted the need to embrace the innovative solutions to COVID-19 challenges that can be carried forward past the global crisis, such as this online version of the NLLC21 which could be part of a new hybrid format in the future. The virtual format has meant that more people than ever before were able to attend the speeches, presentations, and breakout sessions, making this one of the most accessible and connected NLLCs ever.

The first online edition of the NLLC was a huge success and very well-received. The JALLC will now go on to prepare the report on the conference outcomes and a magazine covering the whole event. The NLLC21 Team and the JALLC thank all of those who presented, attended, and actively participated in the NLLC21, and we look forward to seeing you at the next Lessons Learned event. For those who attended the Conference, please don’t forget to complete the Feedback Survey linked here. Stay safe!