This document provides an overview of Root Cause Analysis (RCA) training. RCA is an objective methodology used to determine the underlying causes of problems within an organization. The goals of RCA are to analyze problems to identify what happened, how it happened, and why it happened, in order to develop actions to prevent reoccurrence. RCA training teaches techniques to identify causes of problems, solve issues, and prevent future issues, saving organizations time, money, and resources. RCA is applied to analyze a variety of events like accidents, errors, and failures to develop preventative actions.

1. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Training

2. Definition of RCA
• It is an objective, thorough and disciplined
methodology employed to determine the most
probable underlying causes of problems and undesired
events within an organization
• RCA aims at formulating and agreeing on corrective
actions to at least mitigate if not eliminate those causes
and so produce significant long term performance
improvement
• Root cause analysis is working towards finding the
most probable cause of a non–conformity within a
process

3. Objective evidence exists showing that:
 a requirement has not been addressed (intent)
 practice differs from the defined system
(implementation)
 the practice is not effective (effectiveness)
In other words something went wrong!
What is a non-conformity?

5. Goals RCA
The primary goal of using RCA is to analyze
problems or events to identify:
•What happened
•How it happened
•Why it happened…so that
•Actions for preventing reoccurrence are
developed

6. This course allows you to identify the cause of a problem,
solve it, and prevent it from occurring again. This saves
organizations time, money, and resources.
Learning objectives
• Enhance problem solving effectiveness by providing a
model for more deeply analyzing problem situations.
• Clarify the difference between analytical and creative
thinking, and when each is most useful.
• Promote the ability to provide problem-solving support in
situations where one is not an expert in the process or
technology involved.
• Expand the range of tools available for analysis of
problem situations.
RCA Training

7. Business Benefits of RCA Training
To enable delegates to:
•Understand and implement the “Root Cause Analysis
methodology"
•Understand and practically employ the basic techniques
associated with Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
•Identify where RCA can be used for best effect
•Coordinate and motivate the RCA team to provide real,
tangible solutions to what appears to be intractable quality
problems.
•Train others in the RCA methodology

8. Implementing RCA will help organizations:
•Identify barriers and the causes of problems, so that
permanent solutions can be found.
•Develop a logical approach to problem-solving, using
data that already exists in the agency.
•Identify current and future needs for organizational
improvement.
•Establish repeatable, step-by-step processes, in which
one process can confirm the results of another.
•Saves organizations time, money, and resources.

9. Applying RCA
Examples of events where RCA is used to solve
problems and provide preventive actions include:
•Major accidents, Everyday incidents
•Minor near-misses
•Human errors
•Equipment failures
•Maintenance problems
•Medical mistakes
•Productivity issues
•Manufacturing mistakes
•Quality mistakes
•Service delivery errors
•Environmental releases
•Risk analysis, risk mapping

10. Applying RCA
Examples of events where RCA is used to solve
problems and provide preventive actions include:
•Major accidents, Everyday incidents
•Minor near-misses
•Human errors
•Equipment failures
•Maintenance problems
•Medical mistakes
•Productivity issues
•Manufacturing mistakes
•Quality mistakes
•Service delivery errors
•Environmental releases
•Risk analysis, risk mapping