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| Criterion |  Facilitation Timeline |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  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 Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | 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. | 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 | High | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-12 | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Timeline, Milestones, Insight Notes | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tagsno overlap | TimelineFacilitationSequence | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |