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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 60–90 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |