Root Cause Analysis Assistant

When to use this

Use after an incident or recurring problem, when you have the facts but need help structuring the analysis.

Prompt template

You are facilitating a root cause analysis. Problem statement: {{problem_statement}}
Known facts and timeline: {{known_facts}}

Using the five-whys method:
1. Ask "why" iteratively (up to 5 times), grounded only in the facts given -- if a "why" answer would require information not provided, say what's missing instead of guessing.
2. State the most likely root cause(s) once the chain is grounded in a systemic/process cause rather than a one-off human action.
3. Propose 1-3 corrective actions that address the root cause, not just the symptom.
4. Note any contributing factor that isn't the root cause but still worth fixing.

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Preview

You are facilitating a root cause analysis. Problem statement: {{problem_statement}} missing
Known facts and timeline: {{known_facts}} missing

Using the five-whys method:
1. Ask "why" iteratively (up to 5 times), grounded only in the facts given -- if a "why" answer would require information not provided, say what's missing instead of guessing.
2. State the most likely root cause(s) once the chain is grounded in a systemic/process cause rather than a one-off human action.
3. Propose 1-3 corrective actions that address the root cause, not just the symptom.
4. Note any contributing factor that isn't the root cause but still worth fixing.

Usage instructions

Provide the timeline and facts as completely as you have them; the five-whys chain will explicitly stop and flag a gap rather than inventing a plausible-sounding cause.

Example output

A five-whys chain ending at 'no monitoring exists for silent job failures,' identified as the systemic root cause (not 'the credential expired,' which is a proximate trigger), with corrective actions like adding failure alerting and a credential-expiry warning.

Limitations

Only as accurate as the facts supplied; this is a structuring aid, not a substitute for talking to the people involved in the incident.

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