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| Criterion |  Facilitation Timeline |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Systems Thinking Behavior Over Time Graph |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a project, incident, or change process is only remembered in fragments, Timeline brings the sequence back into a readable form. It makes turning points, precursors, and after-effects recognizable over the course of time. | 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. | A Behavior Over Time Graph shows how a metric or observation develops over time. The method makes trends, breaks, and recurring patterns visible that get lost in snapshots. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 20-45 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-12 | 2-8 | 1-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Timeline, Milestones, Insight Notes | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Behavior Over Time Graph, Trend Hypotheses, Key Events | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tagsno overlap | TimelineFacilitationSequence | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | Systems thinkingPatternsDynamics | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |