How Do We Define a Good Problem?

We could define problems or challenges as unwanted situations that negatively impact a specific group or a specific area. What does this have to do with the GovTech space? It’s simple, though not always obvious: at GovTech Labs, we start with problems rather than solutions because, in order to pilot and test whether a solution is valid and fits what we need, we must first identify that need or problem. Without knowing what we want to solve, we cannot (1) choose a good solution to pilot and (2) evaluate whether it truly helped us.

However, it’s not that easy to identify the problem! From an early age, throughout our education and later in our professional lives, we are taught to solve problems and find solutions—often as quickly and efficiently as possible. How many times have we heard the phrase, “Bring me solutions, not problems”? Do you know of any “best problem” awards? We don’t like to focus on problems, yet they are the most important starting point.

“If I had one hour to solve a problem, I would spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 1 minute thinking about the solution.” — Albert Einstein

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In public administration, it is not common to start from problem definition. To begin with, in public administration schools and university programs on public policy, training in problem definition is limited, since they mainly focus on studying the tools available within public administrations (AAPP) to solve problems: public policies, services, subsidies, scholarships, regulations, and laws, but little or no time is spent learning how to define a problem well.

Launching a new initiative in the administration requires endless approvals, so it is often safer to take the familiar route and propose well-known solutions such as traditional services, subsidies, or scholarships. Public administrations also deal with problems and solutions that affect society more broadly, not just themselves. It is harder to define a problem that does not concern us directly.

Why is problem definition so important?

Why do we insist on the need to invest resources and time in defining problems?

From a public policy standpoint, problem definition is important because:

• A good problem attracts a good solution: As Beth Noveck, professor at Northeastern University and director of The GovLab, states in her book How to Solve Public Problems: “The time we spend understanding the problem compensates us in saving time and reducing the risk of introducing expensive and ineffective solutions.”

• A limited problem allows us to act: Big problems such as climate change, poverty, or inequality are very broad and complex, and dealing with them can be overwhelming to the point that we feel paralyzed, unsure where to begin. Breaking problems down and narrowing them allows us to face and manage them better.

• It makes it possible to identify the “success” of the solution: If we correctly define the unwanted situation, we can describe the desired situation—that is, success. With this, we can define indicators to measure what is not working and evaluate how the situation has changed. If we are unclear about the problem, once the solution is implemented, we will not be able to measure whether anything has changed or assess whether it has been for the better (or worse).

How Do We Define a Good Problem?

We have said that it is not always easy to define problems. In fact, we often underestimate the effort required: it is not a trivial task.

There are different approaches, methodologies, tools, and good practices for defining a problem. At Gobe, we have developed a methodology inspired by the discipline of service design, which we incorporated into the first phase of Govtech Laboratories. This work is the result of research and experimentation by the IE PublicTech Lab team led by Beatriz Belmonte, and by GOBE with design experts such as Eduardo Lacal and Ester Serraz. We want to continue evolving and rethinking the methodology with all the institutions we work with, while also incorporating new approaches such as communication and data.

We want to leave you with five best practices you can apply if you take on the task of defining challenges:

• IIncorporate the vision and experience of different affected groups: We cannot rely only on our own perception or view of the situation. It is important to include the perspectives of different groups and interests.
• Rely on data, documentation, and evidence: The experiences of people (workers and citizens) are very relevant, but they must be contrasted with data and documentation. Data allows us to quantify the magnitude of the problem, examine its scope, and more. Reviewing the evidence also helps: what has already been done? What has worked? Sometimes it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel—we can try something that has worked elsewhere in a similar context.

• Incorporate experts from different disciplines to see the problem from multiple angles. Exploring the problem from different perspectives can help us better identify the real cause and thus find a more appropriate solution.
• Break the problem down into smaller, actionable problems. The key idea here is actionability, so that we can take concrete steps to solve it.

“Problem definition is the process of reducing a problem to a smaller problem that can be more easily acted upon by hypothesizing why a problem occurs and identifying its root causes.” — Beth Noveck

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• Don’t confuse cause and symptom. Often, when we start researching, the first things we find are the symptoms of the problem. It is worth continuing to investigate until the real cause is found. Otherwise, our solutions will be mere patches that address symptoms but fail to solve the root of the problem.

If you’ve come this far and are interested in learning more about this practice, we recommend the following resources:

• The Solving Public Problems platform, where you’ll find articles, exercises, and videos.
• Handbooks and case studies from the OCDE-Observatory of Public Sector Innovation