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| Criterion |  Operations After-Action Review |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  Operations Learning Review |  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. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 2-4 h | 1-3 h | 45–75 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-6 | 3-10 | Team members involved |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Learning Review Notes, System Factors, Improvement Actions | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | Root causeSafetyIncident | LearningRetrospectiveIncidentOperations | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam |