ECCAY RESOURCES
Exercise nr. 34
CHALLENGES TREE
|
Minimum number of participants |
Average time length | Individual setting |
Group setting | Special Equipment | Unit | Online | Challenges/ competition |
| 3 | 2-3 hours | no | yes | no | 3,4 | no | no |
This exercise for small groups helps to explore and understand how things or situations came to be and how they are a complex reality.
The challenges tree is an adapted version of the problem tree and is a methodology of three steps for identifying main challenges and issues, along with their causes and effects. It is a type of diagram that enables group members to analyse the causes and effects of a particular challenge, and how they relate to one another.
Constructed around a focal challenge/issue, the causes of that problem are tracked down below, and the effects above.
A challenge tree has three parts: a trunk, roots, and branches. The trunk is the main challenge or issue. The roots represent the causes of the core challenge or issue while the branches represent its effects.
Problem trees do more than just identify the root causes of the problem. They provide a visual breakdown of challenges or issues into their manifestations as well as their causes, and furthermore create a visual output that can be understood by anyone. The process can be a useful method in building an individual's or group’s awareness of the challenge, how they and others contribute to the challenge, and how it affects his/her or their lives.
Aim / Benefits
In the challenge tree the issue or challenge is broken down into manageable and definable parts. This allows the prioritisation of factors and helps to focus the objectives, and define them better.
It allows to generate more and a more profound understanding of the issue or challenge at hand, and its causes, which are often interconnected and on occasions even contradictory. This also helps to establish who are the actors involved and what processes are at play.
Working on a challenge tree in a group helps to create a shared sense of understanding and create a basis for a common purpose and action to solve the related causes. It also creates and generates (meaningful) conversations around a particular challenge, both during the discussions in the groups as well as during the final steps and debrief of the activity.
UNIT(s) related
However the discussions taking place contribute to a better common understanding of others’ perspectives and experiences, and views on a particular issue, problem or challenge, and as such it could also be valuable for Unit 3: Building the relationship.
How to do the exercise
(MANDATORY to explain how to prepare and introduce the exercise to the participant)
A problem tree analysis can be carried out in 2 ways:
- The professional defines the problem or issue.
- The participants define the problem or issue.
In case 1, The professional introduces the issue which will be the topic or subject of the challenge tree. He/she can use additional context material to explain this, e.g. newspaper clipping. The professional explains the exercise to the participants.
In case 2, the session starts off with a brainstorming activity in which the participants identify the challenge or issue that they want to address in the challenge tree analysis. Under the guidance of the professional the participants reach consensus on the challenge or issue to be addressed and the professional then explains the exercise to the participants.
The core issue or challenge should be formulated from the perspective of the target group, and should take the form of a negative statement and should be specific enough. The challenge should try and identify who are the ones affected (i.e. the group of persons or community affected) and the period of focus, in most cases a current or actual problem. Nonetheless, the exercise has also been used to reflect upon past problems to spark conversations about the past and analyse solutions from hindsight to extract lessons learned (for instance in history classes).
Do not worry if it seems like a broad topic because the problem tree will help break it down. For example, "High levels of unemployment among young people" is negative, but maybe is not specific enough. Significantly better would be: "After graduating from secondary school, youths cannot find apprenticeships."
Step 2
The participants are provided with a “problem tree” template (see examples below).
The challenge or issue is written in the centre of the template, and becomes the ‘trunk’ of the tree. This becomes the ‘focal challenge’ subject to the analysis. Although the understanding of what the problem is needs to be shared by the participants, the wording of the problem in the “trunk” itself does not need to be written down in the exact same way and words for all the groups, as the roots and branches will further define it.
Step 3
Then, the group identifies first the causes of the focal problem, i.e. the “roots” of the tree, and then secondly the consequences which become the branches. This can be done first individually with the participants using sticky notes, and then group the notes and discuss with their peers, or start the discussion and reach an agreement between the members of the group.
The heart of the exercise is the discussion, debate and dialogue that is generated as factors are arranged and re-arranged, often forming sub-dividing roots and branches. Make sure that the group takes their time to allow participants to explain their feelings and reasoning, and record related ideas and points that come up. If working with one single group the professional is recommended to do this on separate flip chart paper under titles such as solutions, concerns and decisions, if working with several subgroups, the professional should ask each one of them to do so for their ideas and points emerging during the discussion.
The questions to be used in the discussion are:
● Does this represent the context?
● Are the economic, political and socio-cultural dimensions to the issue/challenges considered?
● Which causes and consequences are getting better, which are getting worse and which are staying pretty much the same?
● What are the most serious consequences? Which are of most concern? What criteria are important to us in thinking about a way forward?
● Which causes are easiest / most difficult to address?
● What possible solutions or options might there be? Where could a change help address a cause or consequence, or create a solution?
● What decisions have we made, and what actions have we agreed?
Final step / Conclusion:
(MANDATORY to explain what to do in order to conclude the exercise)
Participants then review the flow of thought and the logic and reasons behind the relationships they have established between the roots and the branches. They also verify the tree as a whole and make sure that in their view is it valid and complete. It is important to review the sequence of cause and effects to make sure that they are clear and make logical sense (e.g. does this lead to that, or is there a missing step, and is this the effect of that happening). It is important to ensure that there is agreement among the participants.
The questions which should be asked here is: are these causes sufficient to explain why these consequences occur? If participants agree that the answer is yes, the problem tree diagram is considered final.
Debrief
When working with one single group the professional summarises the result, and focuses also on the discussion that has taken place during the exercise, using the main ideas and points as recollected in the separate sheet as guideline.
The professional should be aware of the risks of prejudices, judgements, blaming, etc., that are reflected, being it explicitly or implicitly, in the challenges tree and/or that might have come up during the discussions. In these cases, the professional can use these to start a conversation on these matter and ask participants on when did these came up during the discussion and what happened when they did, how do they feel about them, how do they relate to their context, etc. For more examples on how to elaborate these questions, please refer to Unit 2, where you can find many examples.
The professional also should ask participants
● What happened during the exercise (with special attention to discussion points and analysing the causes for not reaching an agreement);
● Asking each participant to give feedback on the activity (how did they feel before, and after about the problem, about their fellow group members, etc), and ask them to highlight one “take-away” or lesson learned.
● Summarising the main conclusions and “take-aways” based upon the tree.
Additionally, after the exercise, the challenge tree can be converted into an objectives tree by rephrasing each of the problems into positive desirable outcomes – as if the problem had already been treated. In this way, root causes and consequences are turned into root solutions or objectives for change. For more information see the exercise “Objective tree”
Specific materials
Flip chart, whiteboard or large paper;
Sticky notes or cards
Tape or pins
Pens, pencils, etc…
Tips and Tricks
● Be aware that conducting a problem tree analysis calls for facilitation as well as sufficient time (discussion in the groups might take quite long so make sure to have sufficient time planned for it).
● It is important that everyone feels comfortable in putting their point of view forward. In some cases it may be beneficial to break into smaller groups, each producing a separate tree and then compare results. This could be advisable, for example, where o the group taking part in the exercise is large, or when there are participants who may be less vocal in front of others (e.g. native speakers versus non-native; minorities, etc.).
● Writing each problem/cause/effect on a separate post-it note or card during the brainstorming session allows for later (re-)arranging in a cause-effect logic.
● Where causes or consequences are very similar, group them to represent them all.
● There will probably be multiple causes for each effect, and multiple effects for each cause. Some causes (such as poverty) may be both fundamental causes and principal effects – in this case it can be present in both the causes and consequences.
Example of challenge tree template
On-line version
Bibliography - Sitography
https://odi.org/en/publications/planning-tools-problem-tree-analysis/
https://engageplus.org/en/approche.asp?c=12
Analytical Review of Application of Problem Tree Analysis As a Project Design Tool For Enhancing Performance of Community Based in Kenya. Authors; Wasike Wilberforce Walubengo, D. Kyalo, A. Mulwa. 2019. European Journal of Business and Management Research
Print
eccay-curriculum-en.pdf