On 8–10th September, Prof Tom Dyson and Dr John Tull (University of Greenwich, formerly of PIRP) visited the Netherlands to deliver a series of workshops for officers and civil servants at the Ministry of Defence in The Hague and Defence Academy in Breda.
Prof Tom Dyson and Dr John Tull with workshop participants at the Ministry of Defence in The Hague
The workshops presented findings from the Dutch case study of Prof Dyson’s ESRC-funded research project on military learning (grant ES/V004190/1). The study offers fresh insights into the development and operation of the Netherlands Armed Forces’ Lessons Learned Process, particularly its effectiveness in extracting lessons from UN peacekeeping missions and training exercises geared toward high-intensity warfare. The research draws on extensive empirical data collected in partnership with the Netherlands Armed Forces between 2021 and 2025, including 74 interviews with officers and civil servants and a series of questionnaires completed by officers.
Left to right: Dr John Tull, Lieutenant-Colonel Dr Martijn van der Vorm, and Prof Tom Dyson at the Netherlands Defence Academy, Breda
The workshops focused especially on the challenges encountered by the Netherlands Armed Forces in adopting NATO’s Lessons Learned Process, including sharing the findings from a recent publication in the Journal of Strategic Studies – a key output of the ESRC grant. The sessions also explored opportunities to enhance the Netherlands Armed Forces’ Lessons Learned Process, with recommendations spanning procedural refinement, knowledge management, organisational culture, and talent development.
Each workshop welcomed approximately 20 participants and received highly positive feedback. Notably, the sessions have already generated tangible impact, including the integration of selected research findings into the practices of the Netherlands Armed Forces Lessons Learned Branch.
The workshops were made possible through the kind support of Lieutenant-Colonel Dr Martijn van der Vorm (Netherlands Defence Academy) and Lieutenant-Colonel Jurriaan Wouters (Operations Directorate, Ministry of Defence).
