View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Intervention Mapping | ![]() Systems Thinking Futures Wheel | ![]() Operations Causal Factor Analysis | ![]() Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Intervention Mapping translates a need for change into a planned, evaluable program. The method connects target group, determinants, actions, and measurement into a traceable chain. | The Futures Wheel helps explore the consequences of a decision, a trend, or a strategic move in a structured way. It makes visible which first, second, and third-order effects could arise from an event. | 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. | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-5 Tage | 60-120 min | 2-6 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Logic Model, Change Objectives, Intervention Components, Evaluation Plan | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points |
Tagsno overlap | ChangeSystems thinkingCapability | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics |



