Problem framing

Understand and define a problem before trying to solve it.

Why it matters

An immediate difficulty may be a symptom of a wider problem. Clarifying what is happening, who is affected and what needs to change helps you define the problem before choosing a response.

What this can look like

• distinguishes a symptom from a possible cause
• identifies who is affected by a problem
• states what needs to change before proposing a solution

Youth relevance

When shared work stalls or a concern is raised in a school or neighbourhood, young people can explore how those affected understand the difficulty before deciding what to address.

Ways young people can practise this skill

• investigate a concern raised by a group and clarify what needs to change
• compare how people affected describe a community issue to define the problem
• examine a difficulty in shared work to separate symptoms from possible causes

Connected themes

• Main theme · Problem-solving
• Critical thinking