CAT001: Root Cause Analysis
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root cause analysis Address the cause, not just the symptom. ! Creative Activist Toolkit 001
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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. This chapter helps changemakers identify and address root causes of problems.
Transcript of CAT001: Root Cause Analysis
root cause analysisAddress the cause , not just the symptom.!
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
in partnership with
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis introductionYou 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...
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis 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?
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis
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.
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
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.
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis
The 5 WhysThis 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...
? ? ? ? ?
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis
1. State the problem
Climate ChangeCreative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis
2. Identify an indicator - something that tells you there IS a problem.
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis
3. Ask why this is the case - why are carbon dioxide levels rising?
Coal-powered plants are pumping more carbon dioxideinto the atmosphere
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
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.
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis
5. Why are we relying on coal to meet our energy needs?
Coal is still the “cheapest” source of energy.
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis 6. Why is coal still the “cheapest”?
Clean sources of energy have not been properly developed.
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
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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.
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
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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
Why There isn’t enough investment or market demand for clean energy
Root Cause?
In summary...
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis
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...
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
root cause analysis
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!
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
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Problem
Indicator
Why
Why
Why
Why
Why
Root Cause?
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
Check out other chapters...
root cause analysis
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
and the six habits of highly effective social entrepreneurs.
root cause analysis
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
about the authorCharles Tsai is the founder and Executive Director of Social Creatives. Previously, he worked for Ashoka’s Youth Venture as Director of Virtual Program and at CNN as a reporter and producer. www.charlestsai.com
creative activist toolkitThe 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 Social Creatives and the Creative Visions Foundation, the toolkit chapters are offered free to download. Email us if you would like to contribute a chapter.
thanksThe Creative Visions Foundation
The Vancouver FoundationThe Steve Nash Foundation
Jon and Amy Eldon Turteltaub, Joanne MarienElaine Munro, Debbie Riopel, Jaspal Lisa RaiBruce Johnson, Brooke Kuhn, Serge Martin
Copyright ©2009 Social CreativesFeel 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 Social Creatives and provide a link to socialcreatives.org
creditsAmy Eldon Turteltaub Executive Producer
Charles Tsai Managing Director
Echoing Green, Photos from globalwarmingart.comand iStockphoto.com
Creative Activist Toolkit 001
Social Entrepreneurship Educator
Charles Tsai
Charles Tsai is a journalist, writer, speaker and consultant for social entrepreneurs.
A former reporter and producer for CNN, Charles ventured into the social sector to
help youth design and implement their own solutions for change. He then helped
Ashoka launch its first global campaigns to support youth-led social ventures.
Now, he has launched SOCIAL Creatives, a new framework to learn, teach and
practice social entrepreneurship.
