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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Engineering Failure Scenario Analysis |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | In critical processes, it is not enough to plan only for the normal case. Failure Scenario Analysis looks at the path into failure and shows which failures, chains, and control gaps cause the most damage. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-6 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Failure Scenarios, Risk Notes, Control Gaps, Test and Response Actions | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | DecisionTreeOptions | FailureResilienceRisk | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |