Sentinel Why Trees — Beginner: Build Your First Causal Map

Learn at your own pace

Three practical lessons combine clear explanations, fictional case decisions and worked answers. No trainer is required. Allow approximately 60–90 minutes including practice and assessment, split into short sessions to suit you.

Before you begin

No previous Why Tree experience is required. Familiarity with the Beginner 5 Whys course is helpful.

Your learning journey

1. Start with the event and create clear nodes — Write one precise statement per node and recognise when a chain needs branches.
2. Connect evidence and explain the branches — Attach sources to claims and distinguish combined conditions from competing explanations.
3. Review the tree and carry findings forward — Turn a reviewed map into a useful handover without transferring assumptions into the risk model.

Practice and assessment

Use a notebook or an authorised fictional training workspace. Do not upload real witness statements or company evidence to a demonstration. Each lesson includes a task and an expandable worked answer. The final assessment has ten questions worth one point each. Seven correct answers achieve the 70% pass mark. Complete the required learning and assessment to earn the course certificate.

Connected learning

Follow the reasoning from an incident through evidence and causal analysis into reviewed Bowtie changes and Assure effectiveness checks. Links preserve context; they do not replace permissions or approval.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a trainer or software subscription?

No trainer is needed. You can complete the reasoning exercises with a notebook and the read-only demonstration. Saving investigations in Sentinel requires appropriate software access.

How do I enrol?

Access is currently allocated by the Academy administrator. Sign in with your assigned account after enrolment.

What does the certificate show?

It records completion of this learning and assessment. It does not itself establish workplace competence, regulatory approval or authority to lead a high-risk investigation.