Problem Tree Analysis - Main Users / Purpose

A problem tree is used to:

• Provide a guiding rationale for systems design and evaluation,
• Indicate how one or more problems are the causes of a higher level problem (i.e. the effect),
• Shows how problems are actually interrelated,
• Highlights problems that need to be tackled consecutively to resolve the main constraint,
• Provides an objective basis for monitoring and evaluating changes at a later stage,
• Helps to assess the level of effort and later on impact a project will have to achieve to overcome the problems.

The materials needed are a surface on which to draw (newsprint, paper, chalkboard or the ground) and markers, pens or chalk.