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| Criterion |  Architecture C4 Model |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | 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. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | When an initiative depends on many people, interests, and power dynamics, Stakeholder Mapping systematically orders the environment. It shows who influences, who is affected, and where relationship management or safeguarding matters first. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 1-2 h | 45-90 min | 60–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 4-12 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange |