Trust in the Leader of Collaborative Process Design and Facilitation
SKILL SK-17 | Conflict Understanding & Response
Root Cause Analysis
The structured ability to move beyond the surface manifestation of a concern or conflict to identify the underlying conditions, decisions, or system failures that produced it. Root cause analysis enables structural responses rather than case-by-case reactions.
How to Develop It
1. Five whys exercise
Take a recent concern or incident. Ask why did this happen? Record the answer. Ask why again for that answer. Repeat five times. The fifth answer is usually closer to the root cause than the first. Practice this until it is a default response to recurring issues.
2. Fishbone diagram
Map the causes of a recurring concern type using a fishbone diagram, categorizing by people, process, information, coordination, and external factors. Use the diagram to identify the highest-leverage intervention point and propose a structural response.
3. Affected party debrief
After a resolved incident, interview the person who raised the concern: in your view, why did this happen? What would need to change to prevent it? Compare their analysis to the internal one. The gap between analyses often reveals the true root cause.
Why This Skill Matters
When the same concern type recurs across cases, phases, or sites, it signals a system condition - not individual failure. Without root cause analysis, every instance is managed separately and the condition producing them is never addressed.
Observable Behaviors
+ Asks why did this happen at least three times before accepting a surface explanation
+ Distinguishes between proximate causes (immediate trigger) and root causes (enabling conditions)
+ Involves affected parties in the root cause analysis - their interpretation is often most accurate
+ Documents root cause findings and ensures they reach the decision-makers who can address them
+ Monitors whether structural responses to root causes actually change the pattern
Self-Assessment
Read each Reflective Question below and honestly consider how consistently you demonstrate this in your actual fieldwork, not how you think you should behave, but how you do behave. Then assign a score from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest):
(1) Not yet developed: Rarely demonstrated in practice
(2) Emerging: Demonstrated sometimes, but inconsistently or only under favorable conditions
(3) Established: Demonstrated reliably in most situations, including moderately challenging ones
(4) Adaptive: Demonstrated reliably even in high-pressure situations, and practitioner actively helps
Common Gaps & Pitfalls
! Stopping at the proximate cause without exploring the conditions that made it possible
! Conducting root cause analysis without involving affected parties
! Identifying root causes but not escalating them to where structural change can occur
Connections
Related Skills
SK-05: Pattern Thinking
SK-18: Conflict Analysis
SK-16: Active Case Management
Reflective Questions Score from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest):
I apply structured root cause analysis to recurring concerns rather than treating each as isolated
I involve affected parties in diagnosing root causes, not just in reporting the problem
I document root cause findings and share them with the decision-makers who can address them
I monitor whether structural responses to root causes change the pattern over time
Th shared to the public for free courtesy of the
THE CONFLICT RESOLUTION GROUP FOUNDATION
www.coregroup.org.ph * info@coregroup.org.ph
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