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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Operations Family Tree Analysis |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For a series of incidents with a similar pattern, the method arranges individual events as branches of a common origin. It makes visible which conditions keep recurring. | 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 | High | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 1-2 h | 2-4 h | 60–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-12 | 2-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Family Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange |