AAR for (initiative/activity, date):  

Participants in AAR:  

Background resources/links

After-action review : What did we do and what did we learn?

1.  What did we expect to happen?

2.  What actually happened?

3.  What caused the difference between 1 and 2?

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:

• Things to change for next time:

5.  What do we need to do in the short-term? (who? what? when?)

6.  What should we consider doing in the medium-term? (who? what? when?)

7.  What should we consider not doing? (and why not?)

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.