QN. Explain problem solving cycle as a methods used by social wokers on solving community problems

QN. Explain problem solving cycle as a methods used by social wokers on solving community problems

INTRODUCTION

Definition of key terms

Community is a group of people living in the same locality or having the same religion, race, profession or interest (Ostler, G1979).

Problem can be defined as doubtful or difficult question, thing hard to understand or deal with (Ostler G.1979).

Generally problem is a doubtful or difficult question hard understandable facing the people living in the same locality with the same religion, race, professions and interest.

The problem-solving cycle is an iterative approach that involves brainstorming, constructing matrices, analyzing and testing until the optimal solution is reached. (http://african.howzit.msn.com).

The problem of the community need to be solved by professional social worker. The role of social worker in community is very important. It is not to tell the community what to do or what they need so it is to help the community to identify their needs and find ways of satisfying them. Problem solving cycle is one among the strongest method of alleviating the community problems and in turn it simplifies the exercise of monitoring and evaluation.

The following are the stages to be followed in solving the problem:-

First stage is problem identification, a community worker or an organization recognizes that there is the problem to be solved. They may be an emergence, it may be a minor or difficult problem which has been magging away for sometime. It may not even be a problem but an experiment, an attempt to find a new way of doing something, for example in a village with problem of water, it may some time characterized with a famine problem. That may be due to the fact that, the villagers spend more time to find or to wait water in wells. So, as a community worker you would know that why famine in a particular village by linking the problem of water and famine. Hence a social worker will discover that the people had no enough time to cultivate because they spend more time seeking for some water. This is very common in rural areas especially in Tanzania, because there are no permanent water bodies but only perennial rivers exist.

Another stage is clear definition of the identified problem, if the social worker finds that, the problem is bigger one, it may be necessary to break it down into smaller sub problems which can be tackled easily. Taking example if a social worker finds the problem of hunger in a certain place and the problem might be caused by several factors like water problem, scarce fertilizers, insecticides or pesticides. The social worker can categorize this problem into three major factors resulted to hunger in the society or community. Once these three factors causing hunger problem are solved, the hunger problem will be over. (http://www.microsoft.com).

The third stage is to explore the nature of the problem, at this stage a social worker explores the ways of solving the problem. A single solution or number of possible solutions is suggested. This stage is very challengeable because a social worker is suppose to explore as widely as possible, perhaps through brain storming or other tools to generate many potential solutions as possible, for example the problem of hunger of a certain community is due to insufficient supply of water, fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides. So the only solution over this problem is to link the community with government and other organizations.

After exploring the nature of the problem then you come on selecting the option to put into practice, and if the result is successful or otherwise reviewed on the basic of evaluation. The problem may be solved or it may need another tripe around the connection. Some times it may be the case of solving one problem brings for another problem to occur.

Another stage is implementation of the selected option of solving the problem, it can be implemented trough social action or administrative ways. Through social action the villagers themselves could be considered on making efforts to solve the problem. For example in the issue of water problem, the villagers could be consulted on either contributing their power for laying bricks to build water ponds, or to make some contributions in terms of money. This is because some times the government can ask a help from NGO’s and at the same time these NGO’s provides conditions over the aid to be provided. The condition can be the contribution of man power so as to reduce the running costs.

The last stage is to review the whole activities, stating from the point of defining the problem up to the implementation stage. Here is the point where a social worker realizes the reality of the whole process of solving the problem. He/she can understand which stage has gone wrong or right and come out with the result of whether success or not.

The diagram bellow illustrates the problem solving cycle from problem identification stage up to the review.

Therefore after being looking out the cycle of solving problems now we can see on how this method helps  on simplifying the exercise of evaluating and monitoring as follows:-

On the side of evaluation, problem solving cycle helps to know the extent of success due the ways used to solve the problem. The results of success or failure appear at the end of the stages or steps of solving the problem, which is at the point of review. (http://erc.msh.org/quality/psoview.cfm)

If the programme or project proves failure it can be easy to identify the new solution to solve the problem. This can be found at the point of selection because when selecting the proper way of solving the problem, you can come up with more than solutions. You select one and implement it. In case of failure of the implemented solution you can have an opportunity to choose another alternative solution left behind during the selection.

Also it controls the problem solving process since because each stage has its own limit. That is it can be easy to under stand whether the progamme is going wrongly or in the right way. In case of wrongly situation a programmer can terminate so as to avoid unnecessary cost to run the programme by discovering that the programme is going to prove failure. (http://gotboondoggle.blogspot.com/).

On the side of monitoring, the problem solving cycle helps to avoid large scale wastage of resources that come with full implementation of a poor solution. That is once observed that the programme is going to waste a lot of money it can be easy to take precaution and find another alternative way to solve such problem or to terminate it completely. (http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/17838/5-S-lean-activities)

Problem solving cycle provides simply approach but to solve the problem and managing the changes which some times threaten the whole activities of solving the problem. It is simple because each stage comprises its tasks to be undertaken, this makes easy to reveal the weakness of each stage (http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/16686/lean-transformation)

Conclusion

As an expert of social work profession you have to know all these steps of problem solving cycle, because they are very helpful in solving problem within the communities or societies.