When selecting an owner for the postmortem report, which criterion is NOT recommended?

Choosing the owner for a postmortem report is a crucial step in ensuring a thorough and effective analysis of an incident. The recommended practice is to select an individual who has relevant insights and experiences related to the incident, which facilitates a comprehensive understanding of what transpired.

Selecting someone who did not participate in the incident can lead to gaps in knowledge and context. This person would lack firsthand information about the incident's dynamics, response, and resolution processes. Effective postmortem analysis relies on the owner being able to reflect on their experiences and observations, as they play a vital role in identifying the root causes, areas for improvement, and actionable recommendations.

On the other hand, a person who took a leadership role during the incident, the primary on-call responder for the affected service, or even the individual who manually triggered the incident have valuable insights to share. Their involvement in the incident equips them with the contextual understanding necessary to contribute effectively to the postmortem report, allowing the team to learn and improve from the situation.