Name two common root cause analysis techniques used in FOSSE post-incident reviews.

• A. SWOT analysis and Pareto chart
• B. 5 Whys and Fishbone diagrams
• C. Fault tree analysis and timeline reconstruction
• D. Ishikawa and Fishbone diagrams

Answer: (B)

In FOSSE post-incident reviews, the goal is to uncover what truly caused the incident so fixes address the underlying issues, not just the surface symptoms. A standard and effective pair is the 5 Whys technique and Fishbone diagrams. The 5 Whys approach is straightforward: keep asking why until you reach a root cause, drilling down through layers of contributing factors. This helps reveal underlying issues, whether they’re related to people, processes, or technology. Fishbone diagrams, also known as Ishikawa diagrams, provide a visual map to organize potential causes into categories such as People, Process, Technology, Environment, and Management. This structure supports broad brainstorming and shows how different factors connect, making it easier to pinpoint root causes that are actionable.

Together, they cover both discovery and organization: the 5 Whys drills into cause-and-effect chains, while the Fishbone diagram offers a clear framework to capture and relate many possible causes. Other options aren’t as well suited for root-cause identification in incident reviews: SWOT and Pareto charts don’t diagnose root causes; fault tree analysis is more formal and data-heavy; timeline reconstruction focuses on sequencing rather than root causes; Ishikawa and Fishbone diagrams are essentially the same tool, so using both isn’t as distinct as pairing 5 Whys with a Fishbone diagram.