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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | 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. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-3 h | 15-30 min | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 1-8 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | SensemakingDecisionRationale | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |