The CAHF Quality Improvement (QI) Subcommittee has assembled this basic introduction to Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to help CAHF members understand this useful technique and use it regularly in their quality improvement activities. RCA is a team sport. At its most basic level, RCA is systematic brainstorming about the critical factors that are driving negative outcomes. To be effective, this brainstorming should always include the staff who are intimately involved in the process under review. We encourage you to use these materials to teach your staff to actively participate in the RCA process and to use a team approach that includes representatives from various disciplines in your centers. No one person has all the answers, but together, an effective team can solve almost anything.