View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Decision Making Option Framing |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | 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. | 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 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 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 1-2 h | 45-90 min | 60–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 4-12 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange |