5 Whys Technique
About
It’s an exciting time to be alive. Answers to conceivably any question can be accessed in a matter of seconds from a hand-held device. And yet, despite endless resources, issues still exist that baffle even the most seasoned grant staff. When an unexpected challenge arises, it’s difficult to figure out why it’s happening or to get to the bottom of the problem.
Luckily, there’s a proven technique for figuring out the root cause to a problem or challenge, and it’s called the Five Whys Technique for problem solving. This technique prompts grant staff to move past the surface level symptoms and conditions of an issue and dig deeper to discover the root cause by constantly asking “Why?”.
The Five Whys technique considers an anecdotal observation and the number of iterations usually needed to rule out areas that seem to be the likely culprit to the problem to reach the underlying systemic cause for the problem. This technique helps determine the root cause of a problem by repeating the question "Why?", with each answer forming the basis of the next question. Each time staff ask, "Why?" will allow themselves to question the immediate cause and to go beyond the surface of what they see to uncover the root cause.
By the way, using the 5 Whys technique can help you build a monitoring report that is evidence-based, and (hopefully!) will lead to long term solutions rather than quick fixes.
Below is an example on how the Five Whys was used to get to the root cause on low performance and low participant enrollment.
(Please download the related content file, titled "5 Whys Technique (508 Graphic Explanation)" for an accessible alternative version of the image.)
As grant staff conduct a review, they will come across “symptoms” that indicate a problem. When visualizing an iceberg, symptoms are what they see above the surface, but as they dig deeper by continuing to ask “Why?”, they get to the condition, which is the problem or violation occurring. Finally, below the surface forming the bottom of the iceberg is the root cause, which is the reason for the symptoms and condition.
The Five Whys Technique challenges grant staff to find the root cause behind a problem that will lead to finely crafted findings and long-lasting solutions or corrective actions instead of surface-level quick fixes.
View the interactive training here!
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- Resource Publication Date: 2024
- Posted by: Kaylar Recker
- Posted in: Grants Application and Management