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| Criterion |  Operations Barrier Analysis |  Facilitation Expectation Mapping |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When roles, interfaces, or projects fail because of differing expectations, Expectation Mapping surfaces these differences. It shows what each side takes for granted and where the pictures diverge. | 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. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 45-90 min | 2-6 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-12 | 3-10 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog | Expectation Map, Alignment Notes, Agreements | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeSafetyIncident | AlignmentStakeholdersTeam | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |