The intent of case study analysis is to gain experience and lessons learned through
vicarious experience rather than through personal involvement. The case analysis begins
with the reviewers putting themselves in the positions of the people described in the case.
Reviewers should attempt to immerse themselves in the emotional, political, logical, and
environmental perspectives that made the situation difficult.
There is never a single “right” answer to the real world situations captured in case
studies, but potential options with associated strengths and weaknesses. The most
powerful learning occurs through the discussion of these alternatives with others who
hold differing opinions. The analysis of the case should include identification and
examination of a range of causes, decisions, and outcomes before choosing and
documenting a preference.
In capturing the analysis it is critical to identify the assumptions and their bases,
as well as any outside information (beyond what is written in the case) that is used to
facilitate the analysis. A well written case will have opportunities to make assumptions,
since that is typically necessary in the real world. It is often the differences in
assumptions that drive the differences in recommended actions.
The analysis process begins with the identification of the root cause(s) of the
situation detailed in the case study and the expected outcome of the current circumstances.
With this information it becomes possible to list the recommended corrective action and
how it affects the outcome. An evaluation of the effort to create the change compared to
the benefit achieved guides the selection of the solution.
A thorough analysis will include as a minimum:
- Summary of the situation
a. What is the status of the project?
b. What is the issue to be addressed?
c. How was the problem identified?
d. What is the root cause?
e. What is its expected impact on the project if uncorrected?
f. Who should make and implement the decision? - A description of potential corrective actions and their expected outcomes
- A description of how the chosen corrective action was selected.
- An explanation of why the recommendation was chosen and why it is expected to
work - Any second order impacts expected from implementing the recommendation.
- A plan to implement the recommended solution
a. Decisions that must be made
b. Resources required
c. Actions
d. A schedule for implementation
e. Metrics that describe how the benefits / improvement will be measure