In this first post we will start talking about the fundamental in every single business investment project: The problem or phenomenon.
I dare to say that this topic is the most underestimated feature in projects teams leaders, which is a terrible panorama when we are thinking about formulating a proper and good design project.
There is not a chance in which you can imagine developing an excellent project without defining properly every problem or negative situation; As it is logical to first walk before learning how to run; it’s clever first to set the map of problems, and the stablish the objectives of the project.
I want to let this clear: If you are working in a project in which you observe team leaders are underestimating the analysis and identification of the problem, then, for sure, there will seriously mistakes when setting objectives, stablishing indicators, defining risks, developing Studies, and so on. So, if you want a project to be successful, then, you need to care seriously about the problem.
To set properly the problems in a project it is important to review data and information from secondary sources, also to get data by yourself; in addition, you need to consider to visit and observe deeply the territory, the companies operations, know closely the neighbor, gather opinions and perspectives of every stakeholders related to the problem; studding international or national trends in this kind of situations… with all these strategies to stablish a problem map, you will have a clear panorama about the real magnitude of the problem itself.
Once you have an important number of problems identified, then you need to organize them all; for instance, you may group problems by topic, or location, and so on.
After that step, we can proceed to divide which are cause problems, and which are effect problems. For instance, one problem is “there are inconveniences with training labor force in new technologies”, and another problem detected is “high rate of unemployment”, then we can easily determine that the training issue is a cause, and the unemployment rate is an effect.
Then, when defined the causes, and effects, when need to stablish a central problem, a unique idea that connects every cause and every effect. Once we have causes, central problem, and effects, then we can say we have designed the PROBLEM TREE of the project.
To sum up: 1. Number the problems, 2. Group the Problems, 3. Divide the problems between causes and effects; 4. Stablish a Central Problem; 5. Set the Problem Tree.
Now we are ready to keep formulating the rest of the project.
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