Tactic: Constraint Tree Building

Tactic: Constraint Tree Building

Orchestration Pattern

1. List UDEs → spawn undesirable-effect-listing

   • Collect all observable symptoms of system underperformance
   • Ensure each UDE is specific, observable, and evidenced
   • Minimum 5 UDEs for a meaningful tree

2. Trace Causal Chains → spawn causal-chain-tracing

   • Input: UDE list from step 1
   • For each UDE, trace backward: IF [cause] THEN [effect] BECAUSE [assumption]
   • Connect UDEs that share common causes
   • Identify convergence points (multiple chains meeting at one cause)

3. Extract Core Conflict → spawn core-conflict-extraction

   • Input: convergence points from step 2
   • If root cause is a dilemma, express as Evaporating Cloud
   • If root cause is a single constraint, express as binding constraint statement

Decision Criteria

• When to iterate: If the tree has disconnected components (UDEs not linked to any chain), return to step 2 with those UDEs
• When to stop: All UDEs connect to at most 3 root causes, and root causes are expressed as constraints or conflicts
• When to escalate: If >10 UDEs found, prioritize top-5 by severity before tracing
• Quality gate: Every causal link must have a BECAUSE clause (the underlying assumption)

Available SOPs

Optional, no fixed order; the final leaf is always a sop.