How a particular area or group of people are connected
How To Find The Best Solution To Solve The Community Problems?
There are problems everywhere. We have our personal problems, families have their share of problems, and communities have problems. In order for communities to solve their problems, they must come together and solve their problems as a unit.
Like a family, a community needs individuals to analyze and reflect on their issues first. Once this is done, they can all work towards a feasible solution that works for everyone. However, we must first identify what the problems are in order to get to a workable solution. Einstein once said that you could only get to a perfect solution once you’ve formulated the perfect problem.
First, we’ll look at the criteria you should ask when identifying a community problem. Then we’ll go into analyzing the problem once it’s been identified.
Identify the Problem: Criteria To Ask
Instead of aiming for a complete problem list, we should rather set out the following criteria to consider when we identify community problems:
- At what frequency does the problem take place?
- What is the duration of the problem?
- How many people (scope) are affected by the problem?
- What is the severity (including disruptions to the community or intensity) of the problem?
- Does the problem deprive community members of equity (how does it affect people’s moral and legal rights)?
- How many community members actually perceive this as a problem?
The last question is crucial since problems vary between community members. For example, some community members may not agree with others that something is indeed a problem. If everyone within the community agrees that something is a problem, it automatically will indicate that the community is ready to address it.
Analyze the Problem
In this step, we should think carefully about the problem before considering a workable solution. First, we must identify why the problem exists in the community. Then, we can start identifying solutions to the problem and implement plans to improve.
Our ultimate goal here is to understand the problem at hand better so we can deal with it more effectively. The method we choose as a solution should accomplish our prime goal, which is to put an end to the problem. Below is an easy guide on how to accomplish this.
Justifying the Problem
Here we need to identify the problem by asking the criteria in the above section. We establish the frequency, duration, range, severity, equity, and perception. In this step, we should ask ourselves whether an outside organization or group can help us address the problem more effectively.
Framing the Problem
In this step, we’ll state the problem without blaming anyone. We also don’t imply any solution to the problem. Here the focus is on framing the problem and analyzing it without adding any assumptions. We’ll build consensus among community members. An excellent way to do this is to state that the problem may exist due to a lack of positive behavior, or it may be due to negative behavior that occurs within the community.
Identify What Needs to Change
This can be as simple as saying that people must stop playing their music too loud at night or more complex than asking lawmakers to change policies or laws. For example, your community wants to end second-hand smoke in restaurants as it’s a health risk.
Analyze Any Root Causes
Root causes may only sometimes be noticeable. You may need to return to the ‘Why’ and critical thinking before establishing the root causes. Continue to do this until you get an answer. Try to answer this question as well as possible, as it may be rooted in behavior or a situation that may not be as obvious as a social or political system.
Understand What Drives and Restrains the Problem
Restraining forces act as circumstances that keep the problem going. Driving forces are those actions that drive change and a stop to the problem. For example, let’s say the children in your community are overweight, and the community wants the children to become healthier.
The restraining force would be that junk food is abundantly available, and there are no supermarkets in your area that sell healthy food. The driving force may be parents’ concern for their children’s health.
Identification of Personal Problems and How They Relate
Analyze how individual problems affect the community problem at hand. For example, if we use the previous example, families may not have enough education on healthy nutrition, or parents don’t have time, or they’re too tired to cook dinner and order take-outs.
Identify the Environmental Influences
This could include the need for more services and support from external entities. This could include financial restrictions, poverty, living conditions, social issues, economic conditions, etc.
Identify Members or Targets to Implement Change
At this step, you can identify key role players that have the power to improve the situation and resolve the problem. You may also identify key role players outside of your community, like policymakers and officials depending on the problem at hand.
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