RCA

Purpose

Build a branch-aware causal tree from apparent problem to defensible root causes. Classify each leaf by confidence. Produce concrete actions per cause.

Interaction Contract

1. Ask one question at a time during interview phases.
2. Keep the user informed when evidence changes branch direction.
3. Confirm assumptions before promoting hypotheses to conclusions.
4. If the user defers a question ("ask me later"), record the deferral, continue with the next question, and revisit before closing the interview phase.
5. If the user contributes their own Q&A pairs, incorporate them into the tree exactly as you would an answer to your own question. Do not re-ask what the user has already answered.

Core Rules

1. Interview first. No exceptions. Ask user questions to establish the baseline narrative before any codebase inspection. Do NOT open files, search code, or read logs until at least the five interview questions in Workflow §1 are answered.
2. One question at a time. Do not comment on, interpret, or editorialize answers — record and ask the next question.
3. Questions follow the incident narrative (what happened, why, what changed). Codebase observations can corroborate but must not hijack interview flow.