root cause analysis
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Address the cause , not just the symptom.➠ Creative Activist Toolkit 001
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root cause analysis
introduction
You live on a street where many kids ride their bicycles every day after school. One day, a girl riding her bike gets hit by a car. You run out of your house to make sure she’s ok. She’s conscious but may have fractured her arm. You call for an ambulance. It comes and takes her away. She’ll be fine...
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The next week, the same thing happens. Another kid gets hit by a car at the same location. You call for help again. The week after that, the same thing happens yet again! Now you’re thinking, something weird is going on. Why are all these accidents happening all of a sudden?
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You walk down the block to the intersection and you see the problem an overgrown tree has covered up the stop sign so cars are not slowing down at the intersection. You trim the tree a bit. No more accidents. You’ve identified the root cause.
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root cause analysis
Root Cause Analysis is about trying to identify the primary cause of a problem so that we can prevent the problem from happening in the first place. It’s about asking questions like... Can we prevent homelessness rather than just feed the people who end up on the streets? Can we prevent people from littering our beaches rather than clean up after them after the fact? Can we prevent the elderly from catching the flu rather than treat them after they have the disease. A simple way to identify the root cause of a problem is The 5 Whys.
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The 5 Whys
This is a simple yet powerful exercise that involves seven steps. 1. State the problem you’re trying to address. 2. Identify an indicator - something that tells you there IS a problem. 3. Ask why this is the case - why does the indicator show x. 4. For the reason you just gave, ask why that is the case. 5. Again, for the reason you just gave, ask why that is the case. 6. Again, for the reason you just gave, ask why that is the case. 7. One last time, for the reason you just gave, ask why that is the case. By the time you get to the 4th or 5th why, you might see something that resembles a root cause. Here’s an example...
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1. State the problem
Climate Change
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2. Identify an indicator - something that tells you there IS a problem.
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising
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3. Ask why this is the case - why are carbon dioxide levels rising?
Coal-powered plants are pumping more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
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root cause analysis
4. Why are more coal-powered plants generating more CO₂?
As the world’s energy needs increase, we are relying on coal to meet the gap.
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5. Why are we relying on coal to meet our energy needs?
Coal is still the “cheapest” source of energy.
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6. Why is coal still the “cheapest”?
Clean sources of energy have not been properly developed.
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7. Why are clean sources of energy not sufficiently developed?
There isn’t enough investment or market demand for clean energy.
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In summary...
Problem Climate Change Indicator Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising Why Coal-powered plants are pumping more CO₂ into the atmosphere
Why We are relying on coal to meet our increased energy needs Why Coal is still the “cheapest’ source of energy Why Clean sources of energy have not been properly developed There isn’t enough investment or market demand for clean energy Root Cause?
Why
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So one root cause for climate change could be...
There isn’t enough investment or market demand for clean energy.
Now you’re ready to ask...
How should I intervene? How can I help increase investment or demand for clean energy?
There are countless ways you can act - you can sell “carbon offsets” to car owners or create a program that teaches youth how to use solar and wind technology. As long as your solution answers the question above, you can be sure you are addressing a “root cause” of the problem.
Now it’s your turn...
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Before you begin, here are some tips...
1. There can be many root causes. Try to identify one at a time. 2. Root causes don’t have to be universal. They can and often are very specific to a community. The cause for homelessness can be x in one town and y in another. 3. It’s tempting to offer multiple explanations for something. You might want to say something is happening because of x and y. But for this exercise, choose one explanation - the one you think is most important. 4. Ask a friend, a teacher or mentor to do this exercise with you. The best way they can help you is to repeat your answers back to you. “So you think this is happening because of this?” Good luck!
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Problem Indicator Why
Why Why Why
Why Root Cause?
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root cause analysis if you use this toolkit...
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about the author
Charles Tsai is the founder and Executive Director of Global Youth Fund and also works for Ashoka’s Youth Venture as Director of Virtual Program. Previously, he worked at CNN as a reporter and producer. creative activist toolkit
The Creative Activist Toolkit is a series of PDF booklets designed to help today’s youth impact the world through creativity and social entrepreneurship. Produced by the Global Youth Fund and the Creative Visions Foundation, the toolkit chapters are offered free to download. Email us if you would like to contribute a chapter.
thanks
The Creative Visions Foundation The Vancouver Foundation The Steve Nash Foundation Jon and Amy Eldon Turteltaub Elaine Munro, Debbie Riopel, Jaspal Lisa Rai Bruce Johnson, Brooke Kuhn, Serge Martin
Copyright ©2009 Global Youth Fund
Feel free to pass this booklet on but you may not alter the content or charge for it. You may quote brief sections if you credit Global Youth Fund and provide a link to globalyouth.ning.com
credits
Amy Eldon Turteltaub Executive Producer Charles Tsai Managing Director Photos from globalwarmingart.com and iStockphoto.com
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Global Youth Fund
550 Pacific Street, Suite 502 Vancouver, BC V6Z 3G2 CANADA Tel: +1 (604) 628-1807 www.globalyouthfund.org