Post-Incident Review Report Template

1. Introduction

• Incident Title: Provide a short title for the incident.
• Date of Incident: Specify the date and time when the incident occurred.
• Report Date: Specify the date of the report.
• Purpose: State the purpose of the Post-Incident Review (PIR), including the goals of analyzing the incident and identifying lessons learned.

2. Incident Summary

• Incident Description: Provide a brief overview of what happened, including the nature of the incident and the systems or services affected.
• Impact Assessment: Describe the impact on operations, customers, financials, or other relevant areas. Include metrics such as downtime duration, affected users, and any other pertinent information.

3. Root Cause Analysis

• Root Cause: Identify the root cause of the incident using analysis techniques (e.g., “5 Whys”).
• Contributing Factors: List any factors that contributed to the incident or complicated the response.

4. Incident Response

• Initial Response: Document the actions taken immediately after the incident was detected, including who was involved and their roles.
• Mitigation Measures: Describe the measures that were implemented to reduce the impact of the incident, including timelines and their effectiveness.
• Communication: Detail how and when stakeholders were informed about the incident, including internal and external communication.

5. Resolution and Recovery

• Resolution Steps: Describe the steps taken to resolve the incident and restore normal operations, including troubleshooting activities and technical solutions.
• Recovery Timeline: Provide a detailed timeline of key events, from the beginning of the incident to full recovery.

6. Lessons Learned

• Identified Gaps: Identify any gaps in processes, systems, or skills that may have contributed to the incident or impacted the response.
• Opportunities for Improvement: List recommendations for improvements that could prevent similar incidents in the future.

7. Action Plan

• Improvement Actions: List specific actions to be taken to address the gaps identified. Assign responsibility to individuals or teams and include deadlines.
• Follow-Up Review: Specify the schedule for follow-up reviews to ensure actions are completed and improvements are effective.

8. Roles and Responsibilities

• Incident Response Team: List the team members involved in managing the incident and their specific roles.
• PIR Team: Identify the individuals or teams responsible for conducting the Post-Incident Review and documenting the findings.

9. Documentation

• Incident Report: Attach any relevant incident reports, including timelines, response actions, and analysis details.
• PIR Report: Summarize the findings of the PIR, including the lessons learned and action plans.

10. Review and Distribution

• Stakeholder Review: Identify the stakeholders who reviewed the PIR and provided feedback.
• Distribution List: List the key stakeholders who will receive the final PIR report, including senior management, incident response teams, and other relevant parties.

11. Conclusion

• Summary: Summarize the key lessons learned from the incident and outline the actions being taken to prevent recurrence. Highlight the importance of continuous improvement and the organization’s commitment to resilience.

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This template provides a structured approach for documenting and analyzing incidents to ensure effective learning and continuous improvement.