Tuition
$10,000
For New Students
This price includes a choice of either BD2 Online or BD2 Live Workshop
$7,703
For BD2 (online) Graduates
This price is for students who previously completed BD2 Online
$7,000
For BD2 (live workshop) Graduates
This price is for students who previously completed BD2 Live Workshop
This advanced certification program is built for professionals who must lead high-consequence investigations, develop defensible systemic root causes, design corrective actions that prevent recurrence, and present findings to senior leaders with the rigor expected from a trusted internal or external consultant.
A study of over 332,860 executives consider problem-solving to be the most important soft skill for middle managers.
This course is taught by one of the foremost authorities in root cause analysis, Rob De La Espriella, a Deming Prize winning team member and master root cause practitioner.
BD3 operates at the intersection of advanced causal analysis, organizational systems theory, leadership consulting, and AI-enhanced investigation methodology.
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Graduates do not simply conduct Root Cause Analyses. They architect investigation programs, develop organizational learning capacity, and deliver findings that change how institutions understand their own vulnerabilities.
BD3 is delivered through self-paced reading, AI-assisted deliverables, and work products posted to a BlueDragon virtual chart.
Students complete BlueDragon virtual charts, research papers, AI-enhanced data analysis, training plans, PowerPoint presentations, case studies, and a final capstone project.
This course will help you to:
Ready to start your journey?
Check the cohort dates on the schedule below. Reserve your spot now!
Meet your Instructor
Rob De La Espriella, BD3
Deming Prize winning team member and pioneering Nuclear Quality Assurance expert Rob De La Espriella is a former US Navy nuclear submarine officer and the founder and CEO of DLE Technical Services, LLC. Rob has a distinguished career spanning four decades leading and facilitating hundreds of audits, assessments, accident investigations, root cause analyses, and operational excellence initiatives. His clients include commercial nuclear power plants, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Department of Defense (DOD) installations, Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories, and facilities across the US Nuclear Weapons Complex.
Rob was part of the Florida Power & Light team that won the prestigious Deming Prize from Japan in 1989, the first company in the world outside of Japan to do so. Rob’s extensive training included Total Quality Management (TQM), Kepner Tregoe, Management Oversight Risk Tree (MORT), TapRoot, the Phoenix Method, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations’ (INPO) Human Performance Evaluation System (HPES), and Lean/Six Sigma methodologies. He is also a certified Kaizen Team Leader.
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For over three decades, Rob has leveraged his extensive knowledge of TQM principles to develop innovative audit and assessment programs and guide improvement initiatives at nuclear utilities and DOE research institutions. As a Resident Inspector with the NRC, he received multiple awards for leading investigations into complex operational breakdowns and quality assurance program issues. During his six-year tenure as a Nuclear Site Quality Manager, his QA organization was deemed among the strongest in the US by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations for repeatedly surfacing deep-rooted problems that were eroding quality and nuclear safety. Since 2007, Rob has supported executive leadership teams at DOE national laboratories and the nuclear weapons complex, targeting issues undermining asset integrity and national security. He has developed comprehensive Quality Assurance Programs and implementing procedures for US corporations and Schneider Electric in Switzerland, and his transformation of the QA organization at the Yucca Mountain Project earned him DOE honors. Globally, the World Association of Nuclear Operators enlisted Rob to support QA improvement initiatives in Slovenia and South Africa.
In 2015, Rob drew on his decades of knowledge and experience to create the BlueDragon® Integrated Problem-solving System (IPS™), a groundbreaking framework designed to eliminate the causes of costly human errors and recurring complex problems in modern, high-tech work environments. Anchored by critical thinking and systems theory, BlueDragon IPS is a next-generation approach that builds on the best elements of traditional tools and updates many paradigms. Organizations have used the system as an integral part of their Corrective Action Programs to reduce safety and quality issues, enhance enterprise performance, and create true continuous improvement cultures.
Rob is a keynote speaker at Navy conferences and has been a recurring guest lecturer at Princeton University’s Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. In 2023, Rob was inducted into the Forbes Business Council in recognition of his achievements in helping countless businesses enhance their safety, quality, enterprise performance and efficiency, with modern, innovative, and practical solutions.
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BlueDragon Policies
Cancellation Policy
Tuition for workshops are due 10 working days prior to the start of the workshop. Participants may lose their slot in the class if payment is not received by then.
If payment is received and a student must cancel for any reason, the following cancellation policy applies:
Cancellations at least 10 working days prior to the workshop receive a full refund.
Cancellations less than 10 working days prior to the workshop will receive a refund minus a 15% cancellation fee.
Thank you for your understanding and please contact us for any questions.
Tuition Policy
Tuition for online courses through the LMS is due at any time prior to gaining access to the LMS.
Tuition for instructor-led workshops are due 10 working days prior to the start of the workshop.
Alternate Method of Payment:
Checks can be made out to:
DLE Technical Services, LLC
4634 SW Long Bay Drive
Palm City, FL 34990
Terms of Sale
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR ORDER FOR PURCHASE. BY ACCESSING AND USING THIS WEBSITE SERVICE, OR SUBMITTING AN ORDER FOR PURCHASE, YOU AGREE TO BE LEGALLY BOUND BY THE TERMS OF SALE SET FORTH HEREIN. THESE TERMS OF SALE FORM PART OF YOUR ORDER AND PURCHASE.
INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL PROVISIONS
These Terms of Sale describe the terms and conditions for the sale of products by DLE Technical Services, LLC and its subsidiaries and affiliates (hereinafter, collectively, the “Company”).
These Terms of Sale, unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing by the Company, apply to every sale by the Company and are included in each acceptance by the Company of any customer’s offer to purchase. If a customer offers to purchase products from the Company with its own purchase order or similar form, any terms proposed therein which add to, vary from, or conflict with these Terms are objected to by the Company and expressly rejected, and shall not be a part of the contract of sale unless the proposed terms are accepted and approved in a written document referring specifically to such terms and signed by an authorized Company representative.
PRICING AND PAYMENT
All pricing is subject to central office approval of the Company. All products will be invoiced at the price in effect on the date of purchase, determined by the Company’s current price pages. The Company reserves the right to cancel or remove price adjustments or exceptions which may have previously been made to meet a competitive offer, when in its judgment it becomes necessary or prudent to do so or the competitive situation no longer exists. All pricing is subject to change without notice. Purchases made on or after the date of a price change will be invoiced at the new price.
Payment terms will be as stated on the face of each individual order form, and cash discounts, if any, will be allowed only if taken within the time stated thereon, which shall be calculated from the order date. Payments not received on the date the order is placed will be considered past due and could result in a suspension or cancellation of material and shipments.
The Company reserves the right without notice to apply and set off any amounts owed to customer, including but not limited to rebates, credits or complaint settlements, against any past due amounts owing from the customer to the Company.
If the Company brings legal action to collect past due amounts from a customer, the customer will be responsible to reimburse the Company for all of its costs and out-of-pocket expenses associated with such action, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees.
ORDER ENTRY AND CREDIT
Orders may be placed through use of the Company’s electronic ordering system available at www.dle-services.com, or by telephone or by visiting the Company’s Customer Service Center. An order is accepted when acknowledged in writing (including by electronic confirmation, fax or email) or when delivered, whichever occurs first. All orders to be placed on credit are subject to the review and approval of the Company’s Credit Department.
The Company reserves the right to select its own customers. All customers must, upon request of the Company, complete (and update and supplement as the Company may reasonably require from time to time) a credit application on the Company’s standard form. All customers submitting such application agree to adhere to these Terms of Sale.
The Company reserves the right to reject any order if at any time the Company deems the financial responsibility or condition of the customer placing any order to be unsatisfactory.
PRODUCT AVAILABILITY
The Company’s products fall into two categories:
1. Standard Products
2. Non-Standard Products
Standard Products are (A) “On Hand” or (B) “Special Order.” Standard Products are listed in the price pages and product literature. Availability of “Special Order” Products varies from plant to plant. Consult your Company Sales Representative or Customer Account Specialist for lead time, quantities, availability, and pricing.
A Non-Standard Product is any item that varies from the specification set forth in our product literature or price bulletin. Requests for Non-Standard Products must be made through the Company Sales Representative or Customer Service Center to obtain necessary approval, which will be subject to the following conditions:
1. Any change in the Non-Standard Product request automatically cancels the request and a new request must be submitted.
2. Orders for Non-Standard Products must be entered within 30 days after approval. Delivery must be completed within 30 days after date of manufacture.
3. The order is non-cancelable.
4. As a condition of manufacturing a non-standard product, The Company reserves the right to ship, and the customer must agree to accept, an over-run or under-run not to exceed 5% of the final order.
REVISIONS/CANCELLATIONS
The Customer Service Center must handle revisions or cancellations of standard product orders. Notification must be received prior to any actual loading, otherwise, the customer will be held responsible for payment.
TAXES
All taxes and excises of any nature levied by any governmental authority upon the sale, use or transportation of products covered by these Terms shall be paid and borne by the customer.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
If written or other materials are included with Products, then, unless otherwise stated in end-user license agreements that may accompany the products, the Company or original licensors grant you and your staff a limited, non-exclusive, terminable, non-transferable license to access and use such materials subject to these Terms of Sale solely in connection with the original unmodified version of the specific units of Products that you purchase.
QUALITY CLAIMS
After delivery and acceptance of the product, if any product quality complaint exists:
1. The customer must immediately notify the Company Sales Representative. The customer must safeguard the product prior to its inspection by The Company.
2. Product claimed to be defective, off quality, or substandard must not be used or sold by the customer.
3. If needed, the Company Sales Representative will arrange for an on-site inspection, obtain the facts, and discuss the results with the customer.
LIMITED WARRANTY AND REMEDIES
Products manufactured and sold by the Company are warranted by the Company to its immediate purchaser to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of thirty (30) days after the time of shipment. THIS EXPRESS WARRANTY IS THE ONLY WARRANTY APPLICABLE TO SUCH PRODUCTS, AND IS IN LIEU OF AND EXCLUDES ALL OTHER EXPRESS ORAL OR WRITTEN WARRANTIES AND ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY THE COMPANY OR ITS EMPLOYEES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY INCREASE THE SCOPE OF THE COMPANY’S OBLIGATIONS HEREUNDER. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COMPANY BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST OR CORRUPTED DATA, DOWNTIME, LOST PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, REPLACEMENT SERVICE OR OTHER SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INDIRECT DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THEORY OF LIABILITY, INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE.
The Company will not be liable for any incidental, indirect or consequential losses, damages, or expenses. The customer’s exclusive remedy for any type of claim or action for defective products will be limited to the replacement of the products (in the form originally shipped) or, at the Company’s option, to a payment or credit not greater than the original purchase price of the products.
The Company will not be liable for products claimed to be defective where the defect resulted from causes not within the Company’s control, or which arose or occurred after shipment, including but not limited to accidents, misuse, mishandling, improper installation, contamination or adulteration by other materials or goods, or abnormal conditions of temperature, moisture, dirt, or corrosive matter.
Any claim that products sold by the Company were defective or otherwise did not conform to the contract of sale is waived unless the customer submits it in writing to the Company within thirty (30) days from the date the customer discovered or should have discovered the defect or non-conformance. No legal action or proceeding complaining of goods sold by the Company may be brought by the customer more than one year after the date the customer discovered or should have discovered the defect or problem of which it complains.
CHANGES TO TERMS OF SALE
THE COMPANY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THESE TERMS OF SALE FROM TIME TO TIME. SUCH CHANGES WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE WHEN THE COMPANY POSTS THE REVISED TERMS OF SERVICE AS PART OF THIS WEBSITE. THE MOST CURRENT VERSION OF THE TERMS OF SALE CAN BE REVIEWED BY CLICKING ON THE “TERMS OF SALE” HYPERTEXT LINK LOCATED IN THE HOME PAGE FOR THE WEBSITE. CUSTOMERS SHOULD CHECK THE TERMS OF SALE FROM TIME TO TIME, AS THEY ARE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF SALE SO POSTED FROM AND AFTER THE TIME THE CHANGES ARE POSTED. ANY REVISED TERMS OF SALE SHALL SUPERSEDE ALL PREVIOUS VERSIONS.
MISCELLANEOUS
These Terms of Sale do not create a distribution relationship or contract, exclusive or otherwise, nor will such a relationship or contract be inferred from any course of dealing between the Company and any of its customers who purchase products under these Terms of Sale. The Company and any customer who purchases products from it are each free without penalty to cease doing business with the other at any time, for any reason whatsoever and without notice, unless otherwise provided in a separate, written contract signed by an officer of the Company and of the particular customer.
The Company shall not be liable for any loss or damage of any kind or for any consequences thereof resulting from delay or inability to deliver caused by strikes, lockouts, fire, theft, shortage, inability to obtain materials or shipping space, breakdowns, delays or carriers, manufacturers, or suppliers, acts of God, governmental statutes, proclamations or regulations, riot, civil commotion, war, malicious mischief, receipt of necessary information from Licensor, or by any cause beyond your reasonable control.
This Agreement shall be construed and enforced under the laws of the State of Florida, USA without reference to the choice of law principles thereof. The customer hereby consents to and submits to the jurisdiction of the federal and state courts located in the State of Florida. The customer waives any defenses based upon lack of personal jurisdiction or venue, or inconvenient forum.
If any provision herein is unenforceable, then such provision shall be of no effect on any other provision hereof.
No waiver of any breach hereof shall be deemed a waiver of any other breach hereof.
Section headings are provided for convenience only, and shall not be used to construe the meaning of any section hereof.
BD3 Critical Thinking and Complex Problem-Solving Consultant Certification
Frequently Asked Questions
What is BD3?
BD3 is the BlueDragon Critical Thinking and Complex Problem-Solving Consultant Certification Program. It is the consultant-level BlueDragon certification designed to help experienced professionals lead rigorous, systems-based investigations from first principles to final report.
Who Should Attend
BD3 is designed for professionals who are ready to move beyond practitioner-level root cause analysis and develop consultant-level mastery in complex problem solving.
This course is appropriate for:
- BD2 graduates seeking consultant-level certification
- Senior leaders responsible for organizational learning and recurring problem reduction
- Investigation subject matter experts
- Root cause analysis mentors
- Organizational Development Consultants
- Corrective Action Program leaders
- Quality assurance and independent assessment professionals
- Human performance professionals
- Safety professionals
- Leaders in high-consequence industries
- Professionals responsible for investigating complex human, organizational, cultural, programmatic, or technical failures
BD3 is especially valuable for professionals who must:
- Lead investigations in complex, high-consequence environments
- Advise senior leaders on systemic organizational vulnerabilities
- Move beyond event-level explanations and identify deeper causal patterns
- Use AI responsibly to accelerate evidence collection and analysis
- Translate complex findings into executive-ready reports and outbriefs
- Build corrective actions that prevent recurrence
- Develop organizational learning capacity
Objectives
Course Highlights
BD3 is the consultant-level extension of the BlueDragon certification pathway.
BD1 teaches the fundamentals. BD2 certifies the practitioner. BD3 develops the consultant.
The program helps students move from applying a validated framework to designing, directing, and delivering consultant-grade investigations.
Key Course Highlights
- Consultant-level BlueDragon certification
- BD2 Root Cause Practitioner Certification prerequisite
- Two delivery formats: 4-week intensive or self-paced 8 to 12 week format
- Eighteen advanced assignments
- Four major learning blocks
- Final capstone project
- BlueDragon virtual chart deliverables
- AI-assisted evidence collection and analysis
- Systems Theory and Systems Thinking block
- Behavioral Science and Behavioral Analysis block
- Culture, Leadership, and Teamwork block
- Lean Six Sigma and BlueDragon comparison block
- Consultant-grade Report of Investigation
- Executive-ready mock senior-panel outbrief
- Final credential: BlueDragon Critical Thinking and Complex Problem-Solving Consultant, BD3 Certification
The Four BD3 Learning Blocks
Assignments 1–5: Systems Theory and Systems Thinking
Students learn to see the whole problem before touching any part of it. This block builds one complete BlueDragon investigation from problem statement to final Report of Investigation.
Assignments 6–10: Behavioral Science and Behavioral Analysis
Students develop a Behavioral Science Guide, supporting materials, and a workshop focused on understanding why people behave the way they do in complex organizational systems.
Assignments 11–15: Culture, Leadership, and Teamwork
Students examine culture, accountability, empowerment, silos, teamwork, and leadership as interconnected systems that shape organizational performance.
Assignments 16–18: Lean Six Sigma and BlueDragon
Students build a consultant-grade comparison white paper explaining why Lean Six Sigma is powerful for process improvement but is not a complete root cause methodology for unique, high-consequence events.
Curriculum
BD3 includes eighteen homework assignments organized into four learning blocks, followed by a capstone project.
Assignment Block 1: Systems Theory and Systems Thinking
Assignments 1–5
This block teaches students to see the whole problem before touching any part of it. Students build a complete BlueDragon investigation from problem statement to final Report of Investigation.
Students work with systems theory, systems thinking, elements, interconnections, feedback, layered defenses, systems inventories, and the distinction between linear thinking and systems thinking.
Key deliverables include:
- Systems Theory synthesis paper
- Problem statement
- Event timelines
- Systems inventory
- Data collection table
- HRO paper
- Defense analysis
- Lines of inquiry
- Senge paper
- Cause-and-effect sequences
- Perrow paper
- Final Report of Investigation
Assignment Block 2: Behavioral Science and Behavioral Analysis
Assignments 6–10
This block teaches students to understand why people behave the way they do in complex organizational systems. Students build a Behavioral Science Guide and supporting educational products.
Topics include:
- Normalization of deviance
- Complacency and overconfidence
- Loss of situational awareness
- Confirmation bias and tunnel vision
- Groupthink and peer pressure
- Authority gradient and obedience
- Risk compensation
- Automation bias
- Latent organizational factors
- Stress and fatigue
Key deliverables include:
- Behavioral Science Guide
- External reference summaries
- Concept explanations
- Real-world vignettes
- Case-study presentation
- Workshop plan
- Knowledge check
Assignment Block 3: Culture, Leadership, and Teamwork
Assignments 11–15
This block examines culture, leadership, and teamwork as interconnected systems. Students study how accountability, empowerment, silos, and collaboration shape organizational performance.
Key deliverables include:
- Leadership and Teamwork Reference Guide
- Unit Culture Deep Dive
- Accountability Deep Dive
- Empowerment Deep Dive
- Silo-Busting Analysis
- Cultural Integration Synthesis
Assignment Block 4: Lean Six Sigma and BlueDragon
Assignments 16–18
This block explains why Lean Six Sigma should not be considered a complete root cause methodology for unique, high-consequence incidents, while recognizing its value for process improvement.
Students learn to:
- Explain the origins and purpose of Lean Six Sigma
- Walk the DMAIC cycle
- Identify data-analysis tools used in each DMAIC phase
- Distinguish stable process improvement from unique incident investigation
- Explain why Lean Six Sigma is limited as a root cause methodology
- Explain how BlueDragon examines socio-technical interactions and catches root causes at the interfaces Lean Six Sigma can miss
Final deliverable:
- Consultant-grade comparison white paper on Lean Six Sigma and BlueDragon
Capstone Project: The Wicked Problem
The capstone is the final BD3 assignment. Each student takes a complex or wicked problem and carries it through the entire BlueDragon method.
The capstone includes:
- Full BlueDragon chart
- Phase 1 evidence collection, data analysis, and pattern recognition
- Systems inventory
- Timelines
- Data collection plan
- Five-theme defense analysis
- Lines of inquiry
- Phase 2 causal analysis
- Cause-and-effect sequences
- Systemic root causes
- Phase 3 corrective actions
- T-Matrix
- Visual storyboard
- Consultant-grade Report of Investigation
- Executive-ready mock outbrief to a senior panel
Requirements for Certification
To earn the BlueDragon Critical Thinking and Complex Problem-Solving Consultant, BD3 Certification, students must successfully complete the BD3 curriculum and final capstone.
Certification requirements include:
- Hold BD2 Root Cause Practitioner Certification as the prerequisite
- Complete all required readings
- Complete the eighteen BD3 homework assignments
- Complete all four major assignment blocks
- Submit required deliverables to the BlueDragon virtual chart or designated cloud location
- Produce AI-assisted deliverables that meet consultant-grade standards
- Complete the final capstone project
- Build the complete BlueDragon chart for the capstone problem
- Work all three BlueDragon phases end to end
- Produce a consultant-grade Report of Investigation
- Develop an executive-ready outbrief
- Deliver a mock outbrief to a senior panel as if presenting to a real client
Certification Standard
The BD3 standard is consultant-grade performance.
The final work product must demonstrate that the student can enter a complex, high-consequence environment, frame the problem, map the system, analyze evidence, develop lines of inquiry, reason through causal sequences, identify systemic root causes, design corrective actions, and communicate findings in a format senior leaders can act on.
Technical Requirements
BD3 is delivered through self-paced reading, AI-assisted deliverables, cloud-based work products, and BlueDragon virtual chart submissions.
Students should have reliable access to the following:
Computer and Internet Access
- Desktop or laptop computer
- Reliable high-speed internet connection
- Ability to access online course materials, cloud documents, and virtual collaboration tools
AI Tools
- Access to ChatGPT, Claude, or equivalent AI tools for AI-assisted evidence analysis, synthesis papers, timeline generation, research support, and draft deliverables
- Ability to develop effective prompts and validate AI-generated outputs
BlueDragon Virtual Chart Access
- Ability to access and work on the BlueDragon virtual chart
- Ability to post deliverables, tables, timelines, lines of inquiry, causal sequences, and supporting materials to the chart
Document and Presentation Tools
- Word processing software for research papers, guides, summaries, and Reports of Investigation
- Presentation software for PowerPoint presentations, assessment decks, workshop materials, and executive outbriefs
- PDF capability for exporting and sharing completed products
Cloud Storage and Sharing
- Cloud storage access for posting deliverables
- Ability to create shareable links for required submissions
- Ability to upload or link completed papers, presentations, guides, and capstone artifacts
Recommended Skills
Students should be comfortable with:
- Reading and synthesizing technical materials
- Writing professional papers and investigation reports
- Building structured tables and analysis products
- Using AI tools responsibly
- Preparing executive-level presentations
- Working independently in an intensive or self-paced format
Equip Your Managers to Solve Problems Better
Give your leadership team the tools and perspective to support stronger problem-solving across your organization.
Build Problem-Solving Capability at Scale
Equip your organization with a unified methodology, training, and support for continuous improvement.