What are the best practices for conducting MORT method in a team setting?

1 Define the scope and objectives

Before you start using MORT method, you need to have a clear and agreed-upon scope and objectives for your analysis. What is the problem or event that you want to investigate? What are the boundaries and limitations of your analysis? What are the expected outcomes and deliverables? Having a well-defined scope and objectives will help you to focus your efforts, avoid unnecessary or irrelevant information, and communicate your results to stakeholders.

2 Assign roles and responsibilities

MORT method involves a lot of data collection, evaluation, and documentation. To ensure that your team works efficiently and consistently, you need to assign roles and responsibilities to each member. For example, you can have a leader who coordinates the overall process, a facilitator who guides the team through the MORT chart, a recorder who documents the findings and recommendations, and a verifier who checks the accuracy and validity of the data. You should also establish clear rules and expectations for communication, feedback, and decision making within your team.

3 Use a standard MORT chart

A MORT chart is a graphical representation of the causal factors and relationships that contribute to an accident or incident. It consists of a series of nodes and branches that represent different aspects of management oversight and risk management. There are different versions and variations of MORT charts, depending on the industry, organization, or application. However, for the sake of consistency and comparability, you should use a standard MORT chart that is widely accepted and recognized in your field. You can also customize or adapt the chart to suit your specific needs, as long as you document and justify your changes.

4 Collect and verify data

To use MORT method effectively, you need to collect and verify data that supports or refutes your hypotheses and assumptions. You can use various sources of data, such as documents, records, interviews, observations, measurements, tests, simulations, or expert opinions. However, you should always check the reliability, validity, and relevance of your data, and avoid bias, errors, or gaps. You should also document your data sources, methods, and results, and cite them appropriately in your analysis.

5 Evaluate and document findings

Once you have collected and verified your data, you need to evaluate and document your findings using the MORT chart. You should start from the top node, which represents the undesired outcome or event, and work your way down the branches, which represent the causal factors and conditions. For each node, you should ask yourself whether it is true or false, based on your data. If it is true, you should mark it with a T and move on to the next node. If it is false, you should mark it with an F and stop at that branch. You should also document your rationale and evidence for each node, and identify any recommendations or corrective actions that could prevent or mitigate the problem.

6 Review and communicate results

The final step of using MORT method is to review and communicate your results to your stakeholders. You should check your analysis for completeness, accuracy, consistency, and clarity, and make any necessary revisions or improvements. You should also prepare a report or presentation that summarizes your findings, recommendations, and conclusions, and highlights the key insights and lessons learned from your analysis. You should use clear and concise language, visual aids, and examples to convey your message effectively. You should also solicit feedback and suggestions from your stakeholders, and incorporate them into your action plan.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?