3. Situation analysis issue context phase 1 - Wageningen UR
3. Situation analysis issue context phase 1 - Wageningen UR
3. Situation analysis issue context phase 1 - Wageningen UR
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Planning Strategically<br />
Analysis of problems, Issues and Visions<br />
and planning strategically<br />
Kumasi, Ghana, 2008<br />
<strong>Wageningen</strong> International
Issues <strong>analysis</strong> what is it?<br />
A critical <strong>issue</strong> = usually a complex situation, event<br />
or trend that is likely to affect the project and its<br />
organisation.<br />
Issue <strong>analysis</strong> = an assessment of the external and<br />
internal environmental factors that are likely to have<br />
the greatest impact on the future of the project and<br />
project organisation.
Key questions: problems & <strong>issue</strong>s<br />
What problems or <strong>issue</strong>s are central to the project?<br />
What are the main problems or concerns of the<br />
different stakeholder groups and how do these<br />
relate to the focus of the project?
Importance of <strong>analysis</strong> of problems and <strong>issue</strong>s<br />
To increase relevance:<br />
by ensuring that the project will focus on the real (felt)<br />
problems, real (felt) needs<br />
by creating a common understanding of the current<br />
situation and a shared vision for the future<br />
And thereby increasing impact
Definition: opportunities / strategies <strong>analysis</strong><br />
The process of identifying & analysing the various<br />
opportunities / strategies to realise the visions<br />
The process of deciding which (combination of)<br />
strategies will definitely have to be chosen for the<br />
project to really make an impact on solving the<br />
main problem
Tools: problems & <strong>issue</strong>s <strong>analysis</strong><br />
Problem tree<br />
Rich picturing<br />
Matrix ranking<br />
Secondary data<br />
Focus group discussions<br />
Historical Analysis<br />
Issue <strong>analysis</strong><br />
Card technique, etc etc<br />
See http://portals.wi.wur.nl/msp/
Definition: <strong>analysis</strong> of visions<br />
The process of identifying & analysing what changes<br />
the project / programme / organisation would like to<br />
bring about<br />
Vision: also called ‘development goal’ or ‘overall<br />
objective’
Key questions: visions & opportunities<br />
What changes would different stakeholder groups<br />
like to see the project bring about?<br />
Generally what visions, hopes or dreams do different<br />
stakeholders have and are there implications for the<br />
project?<br />
What opportunities do stakeholders see for realizing<br />
their visions?
Importance of <strong>analysis</strong> of visions & opportunities<br />
To identify realistic changes in the current situation<br />
of beneficiaries or of an organisation<br />
To increase impact
Tools: visions & opportunities <strong>analysis</strong><br />
Objectives tree (cause & effect linkages)<br />
Flow diagram<br />
Rich picturing<br />
Role play<br />
Visioning<br />
Matrix ranking<br />
Decision matrix<br />
Resource mapping<br />
Pocket chart, wall chart etc etc
Group work<br />
Group 1: problem/<strong>issue</strong> <strong>analysis</strong><br />
Group 2 and 3: vision/opportunities <strong>analysis</strong><br />
Each of the tools described is facilitated by another<br />
group member. Feedback on facilitation is<br />
provided.
Feedback for participant facilitator<br />
Remember:<br />
feedback on what happened (facts), not on personality<br />
neutral<br />
Feedback on what went well & what could be<br />
improved, first by participant facilitator, then by<br />
group, then by course facilitator.
Feedback guidelines<br />
Descriptive (instead of evaluating or making a judgement)<br />
Specific, concrete & clear<br />
Take into account the needs of the ‘receiver’<br />
Useful, requested / wanted<br />
At the right time<br />
Correct<br />
Express impact in ‘I statement’ to stress own<br />
observations and feelings (subjectivity)<br />
Check whether message is understood<br />
Check feedback with other people
Group work<br />
option 1:<br />
Problem tree<br />
Objectives tree<br />
Clustering<br />
Scoping<br />
scoring (decision matrix)<br />
Option 2:<br />
Visioning<br />
Conceptual model (flow diagram)<br />
Matrix ranking
Decision matrix example<br />
S e le c tio n c rite ria S tra te g y 1 S tra te g y 2 S ra te g y 3 S tra te g y 4<br />
R e le v a n c e 4 1 2 3<br />
C o s t 1 3 2 4<br />
S u s ta in a b ility 2 4 1 3<br />
S u b to ta l 7 8 5 1 0<br />
F e a s ib le in te rm s o f<br />
tim e<br />
P a rtic ip a tio n b y<br />
s ta k e h o ld e rs<br />
T e c h n ic a l c a p a c ity<br />
a v a ila b le<br />
3 2 4 1<br />
1 4 2 3<br />
1 4 3 2<br />
T O T A L 1 2 1 8 1 4 1 6
Matrix Ranking<br />
Criteria 1<br />
Criteria 2<br />
Criteria 3<br />
Criteria 4<br />
Strategy 1 Strategy 2 Strategy 3
Option 1<br />
Problem / <strong>issue</strong> <strong>analysis</strong>:<br />
problem tree<br />
Objective<br />
Vision / opportunities <strong>analysis</strong>:<br />
Objectives tree<br />
Clustering<br />
Scoping<br />
Scoring (decision matrix)
Problem tree / hierarchy the steps<br />
Brainstorm problems – each problem one card (phrase as negative<br />
situation)<br />
Place core problem (or 'starter problem') at the top of the model.<br />
Core problem is the one with most of the other problems underlying<br />
and with serious effects.<br />
Identify direct causes of the starter problem. Place these underneath<br />
the starter problem.<br />
Check whether the direct causes are independently leading to the<br />
starter problem.
Problem tree / hierarchy the steps<br />
Identify direct effects of the starter problem. Place these above the<br />
starter problem.<br />
Check whether the direct effects are independently resulting from<br />
the starter problem.<br />
Identify underlying causes of the 'direct causes', starting from left.<br />
Check for independance.
Problem hierarchy example<br />
Easier<br />
access to<br />
forests<br />
Adapted from Materials Developed by ITAD<br />
Increased<br />
lopping of<br />
branches for<br />
firewood<br />
Increased price<br />
of firewood<br />
Increased<br />
deforestation<br />
Population<br />
increase<br />
Increased<br />
demand for<br />
land<br />
Agricultural<br />
encroachment<br />
into forests<br />
Decreased<br />
agricultural<br />
production<br />
Department of<br />
Forests unable to<br />
enforce park<br />
boundaries<br />
Effects<br />
Causes
Objectives tree / hierarchy the steps<br />
Turn all the problems (negative situations) into objectives<br />
(positive, realized future states) starting from top<br />
Objectives should be realistically and ethically achievable<br />
Add important causeeffect relationships<br />
Check causeeffect relationships:<br />
as meansend relationships<br />
for validity and completeness<br />
delete unnecessary objectives<br />
draw connecting lines
A hierarchy of results<br />
Widespread<br />
use of fuelefficient<br />
stoves<br />
Balance<br />
between<br />
extraction and<br />
regeneration<br />
Reduced price<br />
of fuel wood<br />
and other<br />
fuels<br />
Reduced<br />
deforestation<br />
Reduced<br />
population<br />
Reduced<br />
demand for<br />
land<br />
Reduced<br />
agricultural<br />
encroachment<br />
Improved surveillance of<br />
boundaries by Department<br />
of Forests<br />
Increased<br />
agricultural<br />
productivity<br />
Ends<br />
Means
Strategies <strong>analysis</strong><br />
Clustering:<br />
To create a simple overview of objectives in terms of<br />
similarity in sector, activity or expertise<br />
Scoping:<br />
To focus down the choice of a goal for the project by<br />
making explicit priorities for project implementation<br />
Preliminary choice of intervention strategies<br />
Scoring:<br />
Decision on choice of actions / strategies
Clustering steps<br />
Start at the bottom of the objectives tree to cluster<br />
(group) objectives in terms of same sector /<br />
activity / expertise.<br />
Work sidewards (same level) then upwards (next level)<br />
Draw dotted line around the cluster.<br />
Name the cluster.<br />
Repeat 13 for rest of objectives.
Scoping and scoring steps<br />
Scoping: identify clusters outside scope of project<br />
Eliminate clusters that can NOT be achieved by the implementing<br />
agency and mark with asterisk (*).<br />
Scoring (decision matrix):<br />
Broadly discuss content of clusters / strategies.<br />
Develop scoring / selection criteria.<br />
Indicate order of priority of criteria (column 1).<br />
Make a decision matrix of alternative approaches / strategies by<br />
criteria.<br />
Mark approaches (each strategy in another column):<br />
• The more positive, the higher the score<br />
Identify (combination of) key approaches /strategies.
Option 2<br />
Vision / opportunities <strong>analysis</strong>:<br />
Visioning<br />
Conceptual model (flow diagram)<br />
Matrix ranking
Dreams realized or visioning<br />
Purpose: to have a focused discussion around people’s<br />
dreams or shared visions for the future of a project or other<br />
activity.<br />
Working from a vision helps to open up people’s minds to<br />
other ways of overcoming problems, rather than the<br />
standard ways of solving problems.<br />
Asking people to describe how they would like the project to<br />
be in the future (indicate period: 3 years )
Dreams realized or visioning<br />
Eg “What are the characteristics of the ideal situation we<br />
wish to achieve here in 3 years time?” or to finish the<br />
sentence “I know that my vision for this situation has been<br />
achieved when I see……” Imagine you have to give a<br />
presentation to your target group:<br />
Personal reflection (510 min): brainstorm ideas & describe<br />
/symbolize key vision on card.<br />
Sharing in group (1015 min): discuss ideas and agree on 1 vision.<br />
Draw the dreams and visualize them with symbols.<br />
Specify dreams in the discussion, with clear time frames for<br />
achievement.
Conceptual modeling (flow diagram / chart)<br />
Purpose:<br />
to identify the links between factors that influence an ideal<br />
situation or vision that the stakeholders would like to<br />
achieve.<br />
Steps:<br />
Define / describe / symbolize vision or ideal situation on<br />
a card and place on a flipchart.<br />
Brainstorm on factors that influence this vision (cards).<br />
Draw links between these factors and the vision and<br />
between each other.
Matrix ranking purpose<br />
To make a relative comparison between different<br />
options of a specific <strong>issue</strong> or solutions to a<br />
problem, and to make detailed <strong>analysis</strong> of how<br />
much and why people prefer one option above the<br />
other.
Matrix ranking steps<br />
Review the flow diagram and identify strategies to reach the<br />
vision (describe each strategy on one card).<br />
Place each strategy in a different column.<br />
Discuss criteria (each criteria one card) and place in column<br />
1.<br />
Decide on maximum score (same maximum score for each<br />
criteria).<br />
Use e.g. pins for dividing the maximum number of points<br />
(pins) among the different strategies: high = positive.<br />
Score the strategies by reaching consensus.<br />
Select key strategies.
Thank you!<br />
© <strong>Wageningen</strong> <strong>UR</strong><br />
© <strong>Wageningen</strong> <strong>UR</strong>