Framework

The Investigation Catalyst uses a novel conceptual framework to support a systematic inquiry or investigation process. The main concepts are:

• Treat desired and undesired system operations and occurrences as processes.
  
  
• Do investigations to improve future process performance. *
  
  
• During investigations, develop and document a description of the process, and develop an understanding of how and why things happen during the process.
  
  
• People, objects and energies must interact to produce intended and unintended process outcomes or results.
  
  
• Actions are required to create or change conditions.
  
  
• Achieve process improvements by changing what people, objects or energies will do.
  
  
• Actions during a process can be identified from the various kinds of tracks they leave; find the tracks.
  
  
• The timing of actions is essential to understanding what happens during a process.
  
  
• A matrix, with time and actor coordinates, disciplines the discovery, documentation, organization, coupling, testing, and communication of the actions required to produce process outcomes.
  
  
  • "If you can't flow chart it, you don't understand it."
  
  
• Gaps in coupled action flows pinpoint missing data needed to complete the process description.
  
  
• Necessary and sufficient logic tests of coupled actions determine the completeness of the description and explanation.
  
  
• Coupled actions on matrixes enable analysts to methodically find any potential changes in behaviors that could be introduced to improve process performance.
  
  

• Documenting actions on matrixes as data are acquired expedites investigations, enhancing efficiency.
  
  
• Matrixes constrain introduction of unsupported speculations and conclusions during investigations.
  
  
• Matrixes enable anyone with data to contribute to the description and explanation of what happened, while the logic testing filters data that are not relevant.