Write a Problem Statement
After reading Step 3: Writing a Compelling Problem Statement in the course text, use Worksheet 3.1A— Statement of Problem Questionnaire to gather information and organize your thoughts. Next, write a problem statement that reviews the community selected, the problem to be addressed and the need it generates. Keep in mind that you must clearly communicate the need to your prospective funder. Thus, further research the problem and related need, its causes, occurrences, and consequences, so that you can effectively communicate them to your prospective funder.
Your statement of the problem must:
• Describe the problem clearly, including its frequency and severity, and the community that is experiencing it.
Advice: The statement of the problem is the most important part of your request. It represents the reason behind your proposal. It should be clearly related to the purposes and goals of your organization. Your statement must be supported by evidence, including statistics from reputable sources and/or testimonies of authoritative sources (i.e., statements made by experts).
• Identify the need that the problem embodies and explain when the need is evident. Review pages 32 to 35 of the course text and the contents of your Root Cause of Community Problem discussion this week for suitable examples of how to identify and describe the need in a way that will impact your prospective funder.
Advice: In your discussion of when the need is evident, be sure to include statistical evidence and to adopt the beneficiaries’ perspective.
• Analyze the roots of the problem and provide evidence to support your choices. Please ensure that you clearly identify the root of the problem in your analysis.
Advice: When analyzing the roots of the problem, be sure to add scientific evidence to support your claims. Namely, you may have an opinion, but is your opinion supported by facts?
• Describe the consequences of meeting this need.
Advice: In this section, describe how solutions to the identified problem may be beneficial to the community that experiences it. When describing the consequences of meeting the need, convey the importance of a timely intervention in order to effectively respond to that need.
• Explain how the identified need is linked to your organization and to the prospective funding organization.
Sample Solution
