Module 2 - Focus on Problems

7/30/2019 Module 2 - Focus on Problems

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Participatory Developmental Project Cycle Management for IWRMModule 2: FOCUS ON PROBLEMS

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DWAF/Danida IWRM Project South Africa Page 1

Module 2

2FOCUS ON PROBLEMSBy the end of the module participants will

Understand why there is a need for undertaking a problem analysis Understand the principles of cause and effect hierarchical approach to problem

analysis Be able to prepare a preliminary problem analysis for their projects Understand the concepts of problems and barriers in conducting a problem tree

analysis

Through teamwork understand the importance of dialogue when conducting aproblem analysis

Be able to identify areas where base line information is inadequate and preparean action plan for obtaining information on a team basis

Unit 0: IntroductionUnit 1: Cause and effectUnit 2: Preliminary problem analysisUnit 3: Problem and barriers clusters

Unit 4: Planning for information gathering

Short lectures by facilitator and group work, followed by practical assignments inperiod between Module 2 and 3

Duration 20 hrs workshop 16 hrs self study approx 16 hrs field work


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Module 2 Unit 2.1

Cause and EffectIntroductory text 2

All these problems are negative states. But looking

for causes for the frequent pump breakdowns willinevitably lead to problem formulations that - directlyor indirectly - are absences of solutions

No stock of spare parts (= lack of spare parts),or

Poor maintenance practice (= lack of goodmaintenance practices)

Both these problem formulations are pointing toabsent solutions. This implies that the problemformulation easily induces a specific strategy: supply

spare parts or improve maintenance practice.

These strategies may be the best answer in thesituation. The point is that we may overlook othervalid alternatives, for example substituting the pumpswith technology that does not require difficultmaintenance etc. When starting with a problemanalysis - before outlining a vision or objective - werun the risk of letting an only apparent objectivity (thecause-effect relationships) determine our choice ofstrategy.

My notes

High infant mortality

Frequent use ofinfected river water

Unstable supply ofpiped water

Frequent pump

breakdowns

Effect

Cause


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Module 2 Unit 2.2

Preliminary problem analysisIntroductory text 2To avoid jumping to conclusions, therecommendation is - when working in the ProblemFocus Area before working in the Objective Focus

Area - to stop the problem analysis when the causesto problems become the "lack of..." type problems.Switch then to the Objective Focus Area, andformulate alternative options for objectives andvisions. Once this is done, work can continue in theproblem focus area. However, now the focus is on

barriers impeding the achievement of the alternativeobjectives identified. These barriers can be of the"lack of..."-type. The picture is now complete for themoment without predetermining the strategy to befollowed..If the team wishes to detail the analysis of problemsand barriers without a switch to the Objective Focusarea, this can of course be done. If a graphicalpresentation of problems is prepared, then a lineshould be drawn between negative state of affairs("problems") and absence of solutions ("barriers").

Reflection about whether all relevant barriers havebeen included is essential.

Exercise

On the following page you will find a first problempresentation of the pollution of Lake Nathla could,according to the discussion above could look like.

Task

1. Prepare a preliminary presentation for theproject(s) your group has selected

2. Prepare for a visual and aural presentation inplenary

Time [2 hrs]

My notes


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Module 2 Unit 2.2.

Preliminary problem analysisExample Lake Nathla problems

DecreasedFishery

Health Risks Tourismdecreased

Biodiversitythreatened

Regenerative capacity of Lake Nathlasurpassed

Industry

Industrialsewerage

Cooling

water fromenergy

plants

Strong

powerposition of

industry and

power plants

Domestic

Sewage

Filtrationfrom solid

wastedeposits and

landfills

Agriculture Pesticide

filtration

Nitrate

filtration

Erosion

Strong

power oflandlords

Cultivation

practices

Forestry

Erosion

Forestsconsidered

naturalresources forexploitation

rather than

cultivation

Other

Organic andinorganic

waste fromfishery and

transport


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Module 4 Unit 2.3

Problem and barriers clustersIntroductory text 2

The problem analysis serves only to identify mainareas contributing to the problem. It does notaddress "lack of.."- Aspects like: low institutionalcapacity to implement protective measures, weaklegislation, lack of standards and norms, lack ofcapital for investment in treatment and cleanertechnology solutions, lack of environmentaleducation.

Note that the very general problem formulation:"Regenerative capacity of Lake Nathla surpassed"allows simplicity in the presentation that does notcorrespond to reality: The causes for health risksmay be very specific (for example bacteria fromsewage and heavy metals). And the decrease intourism may (apart from other causes not identifiedabove) be an effect only of a local pollution problemnear the hotels, and not the general state ofpollution of the lake..

Within each of the problem clusters identified above,objectives can now be identified in the ObjectiveFocus Area. A tentative partial objective could be:

Pollution from industrial sources reduced in concertedcooperation between industry and environmental

authorities.

Then obstacles or barriers for addressing theproblems can be identified:

Legislation and regulation instruments inadequate

and/or not reinforced Limited institutional capacity of environmental

agency

Mistrust and hostility between industry and

environmental agency

Lack of technological capacity to implement cheapmitigating measures

Poor environmental behaviour in industry

Capital for investment in improved environment not

available Public pressure on industry weak

My notes


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Module Unit

Problems and barriersIntroductory text 2

The cluster of industry-related problems and barrierscould then look like:

.

Exercise

Having completed your problem tree for your groupproject undertake the following:

Review your initial problem ideas in relationto water and poverty alleviation and howintegration through cooperative governancecan be incorporated into your projects.

Identify areas where you do not havesufficient information to quantify the problemi.e. base line information

Prepare a collective work plan on how andwhere from this information will be collected

Prepare for plenary presentation. [2.5 hrs]

My notes

Industrial waste fluid

contaminates lake

Limited institutionalcapacity of

environmental agency

Strong powerposition of

industrialists

Poor environmentalbehaviour of industry

Capital not available

Mistrust andhostility between

industry and

environmental

Inadequatelegislation and

regulation

instruments

Lack oftechnological

capacity

Weak publicpressure


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Page 1

Module 2b Unit 2.0

Focus on ProblemsIntroductory text 2Problems and Barriers

The work in the Problem Focus Area aims atestablishing an overview of problems and anoverview of the relations between problems. Thishas two important consequences:

The level of detail must be suitable to createoverview. Too many details will confuse

instead of creating clarity.

The relations between problems are neversimple. The relations between problems mayappear to be linear cause-effect relationshipswhere one level of problems are directcauses of other problems. However,problems in the real world cannot be isolatedand be traced to a single cause or set ofcauses as it is maybe possible to do in alaboratory.

The purpose of the Problem Focus is to shareperceptions of reality, by simplifying the realcomplexities. This is useful - and necessary - to getto action, but it is essential that the limitations of theshared perception is kept in mind all the time.

Work in the Problem Focus is not limited to the earlystages in the project cycle. It can be as helpfulduring later stages, where the focus of attention mayno longer be on the problems that the projectintends to address, but on implementation problemsof the project (team conflicts, resistance fromstakeholders, slow progress etc.).

A notoriously difficult concept when working withproblems is the general rule that a problem shouldnot be formulated as the absence of a solution, i.e.a "lack" of something - but as an existing negativestate, i.e. a state that somebody finds negative. Asan example, we can look at a single string ofapparent cause-effect relationships:

My notes


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Page 2

Module Unit

Introductory text 2

All these problems are negative states. But looking

for causes for the frequent pump breakdowns willinevitably lead to problem formulations that - directlyor indirectly - are absences of solutions

No stock of spare parts (= lack of spareparts ), or

Poor maintenance practice (= lack of goodmaintenance practices)

Both these problem formulations are pointing toabsent solutions. This implies that the problemformulation easily induces a specific strategy: supply

spare parts or improve maintenance practice.

These strategies may be the best answer in thesituation. The point is that we may overlook othervalid alternatives, for example substituting the pumpswith technology that does not require difficultmaintenance etc. When starting with a problemanalysis - before outlining a vision or objective - werun the risk of letting an only apparent objectivity (thecause-effect relationships) determine our choice ofstrategy.

My notes

High infant mortality

Frequent use ofinfected river water

Unstable supply ofpiped water

Frequent pump

breakdowns

Effect

Cause


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Page 3

Module Unit

Introductory text 2To avoid jumping to conclusions, therecommendation is - when working in the ProblemFocus Area before working in the Objective Focus

Area - to stop the problem analysis when the causesto problems become the "lack of..." type problems.Switch then to the Objective Focus Area, andformulate alternative options for objectives andvisions. Once this is done, work can continue in theproblem focus area. However, now the focus is on

barriers impeding the achievement of the alternativeobjectives identified. These barriers can be of the"lack of..."-type. The picture is now complete for themoment without predetermining the strategy to befollowed..If the team wishes to detail the analysis of problemsand barriers without a switch to the Objective Focusarea, this can of course be done. If a graphicalpresentation of problems is prepared, then a lineshould be drawn between negative state of affairs("problems") and absence of solutions ("barriers").

Reflection about whether all relevant barriers havebeen included is essential.

Exercise

On the following page you will find a first problempresentation of the pollution of Lake Nathla could,according to the discussion above could look like.

Task

1. Prepare a preliminary presentation for the

project(s) your group has selected2. Prepare for a visual and aural presentation in

plenary

Time [2 hrs]

My notes

Documents

Module 2 - Focus on Problems