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| Criterion |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |  Operations Family Tree Analysis |  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. | 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 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 | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 60–90 min | 2-4 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 2-6 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes | Family Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange | Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |