1. For a network of interconnected business processes, a method for assigning credit to a first input of a first process with respect to a global output of the network, the first process having a plurality of inputs and outputs, at least one of said outputs being a chained output that is an input to a second process in the network and contributes to the global output, comprising: obtaining a credit assignment for each of the chained outputs of the first process with respect to the global output; using a first-order differentiable model of the first process to derive a local credit assignment for the first input; and applying a chain rule for ordered partial derivatives using the first-order differentiable model, the local credit assignment for the first input, and the credit assignments for the chained outputs of the first process with respect to the global output to assign credit to the first input with respect to the global output.