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| Criterion | ![]() Operations After-Action Review | ![]() Operations Causal Factor Analysis | ![]() Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree | ![]() 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 an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | 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 | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 2-6 h | 2-6 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-10 | 3-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lessons learned, Action items, Event summary | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Learning Review Notes, System Factors, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | LearningOperationsImprovement | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | LearningRetrospectiveIncidentOperations |



