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| Criterion |  Facilitation Dot Estimation |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When size or effort can only be estimated roughly, Dot Estimation condenses the group's experience into a quick range. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as an Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, and Discussion Targets. | 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. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | 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 | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 5-20 min | 1-2 h | 45-90 min | 60–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 | 4-12 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, Discussion Targets | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | EstimationEffortRisk | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange |