---
name: RootCauseAnalysis
pack-id: pai-rootcauseanalysis-v1.0.0
version: 1.0.0
author: danielmiessler
description: Structured incident investigation grounded in Toyota Production System, Kaoru Ishikawa, James Reason's Swiss Cheese model, Dean Gano's Apollo method, and Google SRE blameless-postmortem culture. Five workflows: FiveWhys (linear/branching causal chain, single-thread incidents), Fishbone/Ishikawa (6 M's or 4 P's category mapping, multiple suspected areas), Postmortem (blameless timeline + contributing factors + action items, wraps other methods), FaultTree (AND/OR gate logic, safety-critical multi-path failures), KepnerTregoe IS/IS-NOT (distinction analysis, subtle hard-to-reproduce defects). Context files: Foundation.md (Toyoda, Ishikawa, Reason, Gano, Google SRE; canonical methods), MethodSelection.md (decision flow for workflow selection). Core axiom: proximate cause is where analysis starts, not ends. Humans are never root causes — if a human could make the mistake, the system allowed it. A cause is \"root enough\" when it's actionable. Also supports FMEA-style pre-launch risk inversion (what could fail before it does). Integrates with Science (hypothesis generation during investigation) and RedTeam (stress-test remediations).
type: skill
platform: claude-code
source: PAI v5.0.0
---
Structured incident investigation grounded in Toyota Production System, Kaoru Ishikawa, James Reason's Swiss Cheese model, Dean Gano's Apollo method, and Google SRE blameless-postmortem culture. Five workflows: FiveWhys (linear/branching causal chain, single-thread incidents), Fishbone/Ishikawa (6 M's or 4 P's category mapping, multiple suspected areas), Postmortem (blameless timeline + contributing factors + action items, wraps other methods), FaultTree (AND/OR gate logic, safety-critical multi-path failures), KepnerTregoe IS/IS-NOT (distinction analysis, subtle hard-to-reproduce defects). Context files: Foundation.md (Toyoda, Ishikawa, Reason, Gano, Google SRE; canonical methods), MethodSelection.md (decision flow for workflow selection). Core axiom: proximate cause is where analysis starts, not ends. Humans are never root causes — if a human could make the mistake, the system allowed it. A cause is "root enough" when it's actionable. Also supports FMEA-style pre-launch risk inversion (what could fail before it does). Integrates with Science (hypothesis generation during investigation) and RedTeam (stress-test remediations).
This pack is designed for AI-assisted installation. Point your AI at this directory and ask it to install using INSTALL.md.
"Install the RootCauseAnalysis pack from PAI/Packs/RootCauseAnalysis/"
Your AI walks through a 5-phase wizard: system analysis, user questions, backup, installation, verification.
Foundation.md
MethodSelection.md
SKILL.md
Workflows
The full skill source lives under src/. Read src/SKILL.md for detailed capabilities, workflows, and usage.
Built from the PAI v5.0.0 release skill at Releases/v5.0.0/.claude/skills/RootCauseAnalysis/.
MIT — see PAI LICENSE.