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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Facilitation Alignment 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 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. | 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. | 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 | High | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 60–90 min | 2-6 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 3-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |