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| Criterion |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale. | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. | 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 | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 Reviewer | 3-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
