View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() Knowledge Modeling IBIS | ![]() Systems Thinking Rich Picture | ![]() Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 30-90 min | 60–90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-10 | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |



