2.3. Problem Analysis: Skillbuilding

Which methods for problem analysis do I need more practice with?

Module Overview:

Module 2.2 introduced five methods for problem analysis: problem trees, conflict timelines, connectors and dividers tables, seasonal calendars, and linkage charts. Module 2.3 invites you to self-assess your comfort with using these tools. Worksheets will review key concepts and provide templates for you to analyse a conflict context of your choice.

Module Objectives:

- identify and redress gaps in knowledge around climate, peace, and security interactions
- practice problem analysis by applying templates to a variety of case studies

Climate, Peace, and Security Contexts

You are encouraged to practice using problem analysis tools by applying them to your own context. If you do not have a particular setting in mind, or if you are new to Climate, Peace, and Security as a field, it’s a good idea to complete Module 1 of the free online course on “Climate Change, Peace and Security: Understanding Climate-Related Security Risks Through an Integrated Lens”. The course will introduce a variety of case studies; you can further develop your problem analysis skills by using the worksheets below to analyse the course’s case studies as you come upon them.

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Problem Trees

HOW DO I MAKE A PROBLEM TREE?

Identify a core concern.
What issue are you trying to address? This should be fairly broad.
Think about what has led to that concern.
What are the root causes of the issue? Think local and global, temporary and permanent.
Consider the effects of this concern.
What are some consequences of the issue? Take note of existing and potential outcomes.
Visualise your concern, causes, and consequences as a tree.
You can sketch your own tree, or use the blank template on this worksheet.

Problem Tree Worksheet.pdf

FEELING A BIT STUCK?

Below is an example of a completed worksheet.

Problem Tree Worksheet_Filled Example

Conflict Timelines

HOW DO I MAKE A CONFLICT TIMELINE?

Choose your conflict context.
What issue will you analyse? Be specific about the problem, and consider ‘zooming in’ on a particular area and/or period if you are tackling a large-scale and/or long-term conflict.
Identify key moments in the conflict.
Which episodes have been particularly significant? Include both tension-amplifying and mitigating incidents, and consider using well-known external events for temporal context.
Arrange episodes by their chronological order.
When did various incidents take place?
Plot your events on a timeline.
Which details need to be included? Consider how to accurately summarise the incidents, balancing brevity with nuance. You can sketch your own timeline, or use the template on this worksheet.
(Optional) Consider your y-axis.
Do you want to plot your events against another factor, such as geographic scale or conflict intensity? If so, create a second list of desired y-axis labels, categorise events accordingly, and create a more complex conflict timeline with multiple dimensions.

Conflict Timeline Worksheet.pdf

FEELING A BIT STUCK?

Below is an example of a completed worksheet.

Conflict Timelines_Filled Example

Connectors and Dividers Tables

HOW DO I MAKE A CONNECTORS AND DIVIDERS TABLE?

Identify a conflict situation.
What issue are you trying to address? The more locally specific you are at this stage, the more actionable your identified connectors and dividers will be for intervention planning.
Brainstorm a list of connectors.
What brings people together? Think about values, goals, leaders, hobbies, ecosystems, and other factors that are shared and/or can serve as unifying forces.
Brainstorm a list of dividers.
What drives people apart? Consider social, political, environmental, and economic forces that have or could create larger wedges between communities involved in the conflict.
Visualise your connectors and dividers in a table.
Are any connectors and dividers similar? It can be useful to ‘match’ factors: For example, a “shared water resource” might be a connector, while “limited water supply” could be a divider; listing these opposite each other on the table can guide project management, helping ensure that potential supports or pitfalls are considered in planning. You can build your own table, or use the template on this worksheet.

Connectors and Dividers Worksheet.pdf

FEELING A BIT STUCK?

Below is an example of a completed worksheet.

Connectors and Dividers_Filled Example

Linkage Charts

HOW DO I MAKE A LINKAGE CHART?

Identify a context with a climate, peace, and security challenge.
What setting are you working in? This can be a real-world scenario or a hypothetical case study, but having a specific set of circumstances in mind will be helpful.
Highlight environmental factors involved.
What are key ecological problems in your chosen setting? Choose 2-3 patterns that are particularly prominent.
Recognise socioeconomic issues at play.
Which societal and livelihood elements are involved? Choose 2-3 things that are driving or experiencing change in your chosen context.
Consider peace and security concerns.
What aspects of governance, violence, and collaboration are engaged? Choose 2-3 features that play a role in the setting.
Place your issues in a linkage chart.
Which factors are especially relevant? Write key elements in a set of clustered boxes. Most situations will include 6-8 core concerns. You can draw your own chart or use the worksheet template (the worksheet also provides suggested environmental, socioeconomic, and peace and security categories).
Connect environmental, socioeconomic, and peace and conflict factors.
Where are the climate-peace-security intersections? Draw cause-and-effect arrows linking elements in your chart. Remember that interactions may be positive or negative, and will often be multidirectional. There may be any number of arrows illustrating the complex relationships involved in your scenario. Feedback loops can be indicated using dashed lines.
Write a summary of your climate, peace, and security challenge.
How are these issues related? Explain the factors and intersections involved in the situation, telling a story about how the climate-peace-security nexus plays out in your chosen context. It may be helpful to number each arrow in your linkage chart, cross-referencing your write-up with the corresponding numbers.

Linkage Chart Worksheet.pdf

FEELING A BIT STUCK?

Below is an example of a completed worksheet.

Linkage Charts Worksheet_Filled Example

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