public diplomacy in practice

PD in Practice: Appendix C - Troubleshooting problematic problem statements

Paul Kruchoski

— 4 min read

A problem statement is a concise description of an issue you want to address or a condition you want to improve.  It identifies the gap between the current state and the desired state, and it should offer analysis of the problem’s significance and consequences.  The problem statement should provide direction about public diplomacy’s role in defining the problem, that is, the problem statement should hint at the audience's attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors that represent the obstacle, opportunity, or challenge with regard to the larger situation. 

1.  A different context 

Consider how an expert might construct a problem statement in a different context:  a doctor visit.  A patient comes in complaining of pain and numbness in their leg.  The doctor needs to assess the patient, diagnose the problem, and understand its consequences and significance in order to decide on a course of treatment.  The doctor uses their expert knowledge of the human body, along with their observations and the patient’s description, to fully understand the problem.

 

Still, there are some things a problem statement is not:  describing a symptom, jumping to a solution, or assigning blame. 

These three behaviors may result in problem statements in disguise, as in this example:  

  • Symptom:  The problem is a shooting pain and numbness in the patient’s leg. 
  • Solution:  The problem is that the patient needs a prescription for pain medication. 
  • Blame:  The problem is that prolonged sitting causes shooting pain in the patient’s leg. 

 

Instead, a complete problem statement arising from our hypothetical doctor visit might look something like this:  

The problem is a pinched sciatic nerve resulting in inflammation, pain, and numbness in the leg.  The problem is observed primarily while the patient sits, so it affects their ability to concentrate at work, which is negatively affecting their job performance. 

 

How deeply the problem statement attributes or identifies the cause of the problem may vary depending on the context.  In the case of the doctor visit, once the expert (the doctor) has identified the problem, they can investigate causes (e.g., a herniated disk, or bone spurs, etc.) and from there craft a treatment plan to alleviate the problem and mitigate its consequences. 

2.  Public diplomacy problem statements 

In the PDIP process, problem statements should generally be written at the ICS sub-objective level as part of the overall audience-focused design process.  It is the fourth step in the process outlined there.  

Within the PD context, a problem statement should be written for an ICS sub-objective.  The ICS sub-objective describes the desired state that your mission wishes to reach.  The problem is the gap between the current state and the desired state.  Developing a problem statement involves identifying the gap between the current state and the desired state as well as identifying the obstacles or challenges that must be overcome in moving from one state of affairs to the other. 

3.  Writing stronger problem statements

Each of the problem statements that follow identifies a common pitfall in writing a problem statement, offers an analysis of the statement, and provides a proposed revision to make the problem statement stronger.  The revision should clarify the PD approach.

  • This initiative was aimed at strengthening alumni engagement with the embassy and to give them an opportunity to engage with the Ambassador and ask direct questions on various topics as well as  to get firsthand answers with regard to leadership issues and civic engagement in Dictionopolis. 
    • Problem:  This problem statement doesn’t have much of a problem, it describes the broad goals of an initiative.  What is the underlying obstacle or challenge that this initiative is designed to address? 
    • Revision:  The problem is that some program alumni do not remain engaged with the U.S. Embassy after the formal program ends, which results in lost opportunities to engage influential community leaders on priority topics.  This problem is observed by a dramatic drop off in alumni participation in the first year and affects our PD section’s ability to cultivate influential networks, which slows our progress toward advancing U.S. policy priorities.
  • Requirement to empower entrepreneurs to create conditions for increased stability, security, and prosperity for them and their communities. 
    • Problem:  This problem statement simply repeats the sub-objective level goal.  It does not describe the current situation, the desired situation, or the obstacles and challenges that lie between the two states. 
    • Revision:  The goal is to increase stability, security, and prosperity for individuals, families, and communities by empowering rural entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial efforts; however, the reality is that many rural entrepreneurs  are unable to complete the reporting requirements for receiving sustained assistance.  One of the key obstacles is a lack of follow-through from initial entry into a program through its completion.

 

  • According to Freedom House, “The government uses restrictive criminal laws to discourage dissent, and ethnic divisions and pervasive corruption often exacerbate political disputes.”  As noted in the annual Human Rights Report and the Trafficking in Persons (TIP Report), significant areas of concern remain, despite increased Freedonian government attention and legal reforms. 
    • Problem:  This problem statement describes a current situation, but it does not articulate the desired state or the gap/challenges/obstacles in moving from one state of affairs to another.  It also does not clarify the consequences or significance of the bad situation it identifies.  
    • Revision:  Dragovia maintains restrictive criminal laws to discourage dissent and exacerbate ethnic divisions within the country.  The effect is that ethnic and religious minorities in the western part of Dragovia are unable to advocate for their own human and civil rights and are targets of violence in their communities because they have no legal recourse.

 

  • The public health situation in Guilder requires more attention, specifically in regard to air quality in major cities, the high suicide rate among youth and men, and mental and physical health issues stemming from domestic and gender-based violence. 
    • Problem:  This problem statement starts to identify three different problems instead of focusing on one and it doesn’t analyze the consequences or significance of the problems in either the local context or the United States; nor does it articulate the PD aspect (attitude/belief/behavior) of the problems.  The revision below focuses on one aspect, air quality; but two more problem statements could be written to focus on the suicide rate and gender-based violence. 
    • Revision:  The public health situation in Guilder, particularly related to poor air quality in major cities, results in significant burdens on the healthcare and education systems because children suffer from respiratory illness and require medical interventions, or they miss school because they cannot safely attend.  This challenge is important to the United States because these factors limit the socioeconomic prospects and potential political influence of these young people.

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