V.A.1. Project Evaluation: Lessons Learned

Estimated Execution Time

2 weeks

Objective

To design and implement a holistic evaluation of the entire innovation procurement process, capturing legal, operational, technical, cultural, and strategic insights. The goal is to identify lessons learned, highlight best practices, detect challenges and risks, and propose improvements that enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and replicability of future innovation procurement projects.

Who is Involved

Coordinating entity or support entity of coordinator – responsible for planning, leading, and compiling the evaluation process.
All procurers and supporting entities – If there are multiple procurers, one representative from each procurement entities and the supporting entities must participate.
Innovation providers – responsible for executing tendered activities, developing innovative solutions, prototypes, and pilot implementations.
Legal departments or entities – responsible or ensuring compliance with the legal framework, procurement procedures, and contract drafting. Representation from all procurers’ legal departments is required when applicable.
End users such clinical staff, caregivers or patients or any other stakeholder involved in the pilots.

Activities / Tasks

V.A.1.1. Conduct a lessons learned workshop

Organize joint sessions with all the buyers, innovation suppliers, pilot site end-users, and technical experts involved throughout the project.
Identify challenges, risks, barriers, and success factors encountered during the procurement process, solution development, and pilot phases.
Facilitate an open discussion to highlight procedural, technical, cultural, and organizational insights.
Document best practices, improvement opportunities and strategic recommendations for future innovation procurement or adoption initiatives.

V.A.1.2. Stakeholders feedback collection

Distribute structured surveys or conduct interviews with key stakeholders, including clinicians, procurement officers, IT staff, pilot coordinators, and technical teams.
Gather qualitative and quantitative perceptions that could include: the effectiveness of the procurement process, the feasibility, usability and maturity of the developed solutions, impact of the innovation on workflows, efficiency, quality of care and operational processes, as well as the preserved relevance of the unmet need and the correct approach of the common challenge.
Analyze all feedback and synthesize common insights, divergences and priorities for improvement.

V.A.1.3. Reporting and dissemination

Compile findings into a structured evaluation and lessons learned report suitable for external publication, highlighting transferable insights and recommendations for replication.
Support dissemination activities (e.g. presentations, publications, events) to share results with the wider ecosystem.

Tips / Common Pitfalls

✅ Conduct interviews, workshops, and analysis before the project officially ends, ensuring full partner engagement and timely integration into the final report.

✅Encourage transparency and constructive feedback—this is essential for producing realistic and actionable lessons learnt.

❌Do not postpone data collection; stakeholder availability decreases significantly after project closure.

❌Avoid focusing exclusively on technical aspects—legal, administrative, organizational, and user-related insights are equally important.

Outcome / Deliverables

Lessons learnt report/dossier suitable for publication and dissemination within the innovation procurement community.
Collective knowledge sharing event (e.g., webinar, workshop, conference session) to disseminate insights and strengthen capacity-building across public buyers and innovators.

Resources

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