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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping | ![]() Agile Affinity Estimation | ![]() Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 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. | When many tasks need to be classified quickly, it sorts them by perceived effort and similarity. It reduces the effort of fine-grained estimation for large volumes. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 30-90 min | 60–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 4-12 | 3-12 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Affinity Size Map, Grouped Estimates, Unclear Items | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange |



