What’s the Problem?Problem Tree Analysis

BackgroundBefore you can start developing your project or setting up a social enterprise, you need to identify, define

and understand the problem you want to tackle. A good technique for doing this is called Problem Tree

analysis (PTA). PTA is part of a project management technique called ‘project cycle management’.

What’s this topic about?We will show you how to do the different stages of PTA .

Roots and Fruits:

How to carry out Problem Tree AnalysisWith PTA you follow these steps:

Step 1 – The problemIdentify the main problem that your project will address.

Try not to say ‘Lack of…’ but instead describe the problem and who it affects.Although your project can address a series of problems, try to capture the one

FOCAL problem on which the project will concentrate.

Step 2 – The causes Identify the causes of this focal problem – as many as you can think of.

Place on the tree (see overleaf) below the problem – causes represent the ‘roots’.

Step 3 – The effectsIdentify the effects of this problem – as many as you can think of.

Place on the tree above the problem – effects are the ‘fruits’.

Step 4 – ObjectivesOnce you’re clear about how the problems relate to each other

and what your focal problem is, you can start to identify objectives that correspond to the problems – that is, the desired

future situation.

eg. Problem Lack of skills High unemployment

Future objectivePeople are skilledEmployment rate rises

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3rd level effect

3rd level effect

3rd level effect

2nd level effect

2nd level effect

2nd level effect

1st level effect

1st level

effect1st level

effect

1st level cause

1st level cause

1st level cause

1st level cause

1st level cause

1st level cause

1st level cause

1st level cause

1st level cause

effects (’fruits’)

causes (’roots’)

focal problem

The Problem Tree

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Local people become socially

excluded

Area cannot

compete

Neighbourhood gains bad reputation

Local schools less popular

Limited community capacity

Local businesses fail due to skill shortages

Growth of black economy

High rates of unemployment

Low numbers of local

business start-ups

Culture of economic inactivity

High school truancy and drop-out rates

Lack of parental support or attention

Low participation in adult learning

Poor attainment in schools

Lack of educational role models

Prevalence of low-skilled jobs in local economy

Culture of under-achievement

Poor literacy and numeracy

problem: poor skills

Example Problem Tree - Poor Skills -

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Problem Tree analysis is useful in:

- Getting you to pinpoint the core problem you are trying to address.

- Understanding the root causes of that problem.

- Understanding the effects of the problem.

- Grasping the links between different factors – the chain of cause and effect that ties things into a

cycle and which defines the full scope of the problem.

Create a Problem Tree for your own project.

Over to you . . .

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