Most of the time people think of facilitating a root cause analysis as conducting a meeting. People with first-hand information and various stakeholders get together for an investigation. The facilitator is the person who leads that meeting. There are specific things the facilitator can do to make the investigation more organized and clearer to arrive at better solutions.
Facilitating a root cause analysis can be done without having a group meeting. Some problems involve people who are on different shifts or in completely different locations. In these cases it may not be feasible to get everyone together at one time. A facilitator can still collect and organize all of the related information into a coherent analysis by talking to people one-on-one.
The word “facilitate” means to make easier. A root cause analysis facilitator is supposed to make the root cause analysis smoother. If it’s more effective to collect the details by talking with people one-on-one than in a meeting, then forgo the meetings. The facilitator can talk with people one-on-one over the phone, in person, via email or in a collaborative web meeting. The visual dialogue created with the Cause Mapping method is an excellent way to accumulate all the information from these one-on-ones.
Regardless of how the information is collected, an effective root cause analysis must be accurate and thorough. Once the analysis is completed the proposal and selection of solutions can either be done in a meeting or one-on-one. Again, it depends on the particular situation. In some cases it may be easier to get detailed causes and evidence by not having the meeting. Some people are more willing to share specifics when talking with just one other person. Some people will suggest more unconventional solutions when they’re not subjected to the norms of a group or their peers.
A root cause analysis facilitator should be effective at leading an investigation whether it’s in front of a large group or talking with individuals. The details of the incident still reside with the individuals who have first-hand information. The collection and organization of these details can be facilitated by an effective facilitator.
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