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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Operations ALPEN Method |  Agile Sprint Retrospective |  Agile 4Ls Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | With an overloaded day full of too many tasks, a realistic picture of the day emerges. The method connects estimating, deciding, and buffer thinking so planning fits available energy and time. | When a sprint is over and friction shouldn't simply be carried forward, it opens the view onto collaboration and patterns. It creates space to see causes and changes together. | When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 10-20 min daily | Up to 3 hours for a one-month Sprint; shorter Sprints are usually shorter | 45–75 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 1 | Scrum Team | Team members involved |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | Improvement actions, Team agreements | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | RetrospectiveImprovementLearning | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam |