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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Learning Review |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | After a project phase with mixed results, the method makes learning from the individual case reusable. It connects events, decisions, and systemic conditions into robust insights. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 15-30 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-6 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Learning Review Notes, System Factors, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | LearningRetrospectiveIncidentOperations |
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
