// GLOSSARY · CYCLE STAGE

After-Action Review.

A disciplined post-event review that converts observation into structured findings, assigned actions, and an evidenced closure record — not a slide deck.

All glossary terms Methodology

After-Action Review — A disciplined post-event review that converts observation into structured findings, assigned actions, and an evidenced closure record — not a slide deck.

An after-action review (AAR) is the doctrinal practice of asking: what was supposed to happen, what actually happened, why was there a difference, and what will we do about it. The discipline is military in origin and now adopted across healthcare, emergency response, and high-reliability industry.

OCTAAR's AAR is structured by design. Findings inherit from observations. Actions inherit from findings. Owners, due dates, evidence requirements, and closure verification all live inside the platform. The AAR is not the meeting. The AAR is the record the meeting produces.

// ALSO KNOWN AS

AAR, Hot wash (informal), Debrief (clinical)

// DOMAIN

Cross-domain

// RELATED TERMS

// LAST UPDATED

May 19, 2026 · OCTAAR Methodology Team

// SEE IT IN OPERATION

How after-action review lives inside the OCTAAR cycle.

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