CAPM Practice: Demonstrate an understanding of common problem-solving tools and techniques

Effective root cause analysis focuses on systemic causes rather than individual blame. Finding that an unclear work instruction caused the error identifies a process improvement opportunity that will prevent future recurrence — far more effective than disciplining the individual for a system failure.

**Why not A:** Individual performance management focuses on evaluating and managing a person's work output. The scenario demonstrates that the root cause was a systemic issue (unclear work instruction), not an individual performance problem, making this approach counterproductive.

**Why not C:** Escalation to HR for policy violations is punitive and misses the point. The defect was caused by an unclear work instruction, which is a process failure. HR escalation would blame the individual for a system-level problem.

**Why not D:** Accountability over process improvement prioritizes assigning blame rather than fixing the underlying cause. The 5 Whys revealed that the unclear work instruction was the real issue, making process improvement the appropriate response rather than holding an individual accountable for a systemic failure.