Description: Within the context of this manual, there are two occassions where objective tree analysis may be carried out, namely during a district-based orientation and training workshop or following the completion of the field appraisal. In the latter case, objective tree analysis will build on the findings of the appraisal. In the case of an orientation and training workshop, the exercise will build on the information contained in the sector reports and on the knowledge of the participants.
Objective tree analysis is a logical continuation of the problem tree analysis. Starting from the problem statements the team tasked with planning seeks to obtain a clear overall picture of a targeted positive situation in the future. The group identifies real, important and priority objectives related to the issue under investigation, i.e. food insecurity and malnutrition. An objective tree looks like a tree. The trunk is the core objective. The branches and twigs are results and the roots are the means needed to achieve the core objective.
In principle, the means and results can be obtained by simply turning the negative problem statements into positive statements of a situation that one wishes to achieve in the future. This may look like a very simplistic exercise that is often carried out in a quasi mechanical manner. However, the danger in a too mechanical application of this technique is that one may formulate objectives that are not attainable or sustainable. It is therefore important to start the planning exercise from what is locally acceptable, feasible and already available. This can be done by building the objective tree starting from existing opportunities (or the strengths and opportunities from the SWOT analysis).
Objective: Objective tree analysis is a tool which allows to describe the future situation which will be achieved when the problems are solved, through the identification of objectives related to the issue under investigation and highlighting the means and results relationships in a diagramme or objective tree.
With who: Depending on when the exercise is carried out, the objective tree is developed by the participants in the orientation workshop or by those tasked with planning. The findings may be presented to the community or to local government authorities and other stakeholders. It is a good starting point for strategic planning.
Examples of key questions:
1. What is the entity of the analysis? An entity is the group that determines the boundaries of the analysis. Whom are we talking about: a typical household, a typical community, an economic reality, a geographical area? For community action planning purposes, the entity is the community. The analysis may also look at different entities. We may be interested in looking into the situation of poor female headed households as well as into the problems of landless peasants.
2. What is the issue that we are investigating? The issue could be ‘food security problems in the community’, ‘ nutrition problems in the community’, etc.
3. Are that the statements of the objectives and their means and results perfectly clear to all?
4. Are the objectives and their means-results linkages realistic and feasible, and not ethically unacceptable (e.g. changing religion) or impossible (e.g. enough rain)?
5. Are the objectives formulated as ‘a positive state achieved in the future’ and the means as ‘positive actions to be carried out’?
6. Does the objective tree show all possible solutions to given problems? Verify from the analysis of constraints and opportunities (or from the SWOT analysis) that relevant strengths within the community and opportunities that have come from outside have not been left out as possible means to achieve the set objectives?
How to facilitate:
1. Using the information from the problem tree analysis and the SWOT analysis, formulate all negative states in the problem tree as positive states to be achieved in the future. This should be done in the same groups around major problem areas as was done for the problem tree analysis.
2. Check that the conversion of problems into objectives is realistic and ethically acceptable. If this is not the case, reformulate the problem and adjust the objective correspondingly.
3. Check that the cause-effects relationships have effectively turned into means-results relationships and that the diagram is both complete and valid. If not, adjust the logic.
4. Check from the SWOT analysis that relevant strengths within the community and opportunities that have come from outside have not been left out as possible means to achieve the set objectives.
5. If necessary, change some of the formulations to weed out nonsense or ethically debatable statements. Also eliminate objectives that are undesirable or unnecessary. if all problem statements are perfectly clear to all and reformulate them if not.
6. Upon completion of their work, the working groups present their findings in plenary and establish an overall objective tree, whereby the core problem is turned into an overall objective.
Materials needed: Coloured cards, markers, problem tree and SWOT analysis.
ANNEX 7 - DAILY EVALUATION MATRIX
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Type of group: Tool: Team/Village: |
e.g. a group of men, women, the poor Fill a separate form for each tool, e.g. resource map, social map, etc. Name of village and team that facilitated the exercise |
Conclusions |
Questions still to be answered |
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Key Questions: |
List the key questions for this tool |
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Main findings |
List the answers to the key questions |
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Strengths in the community |
Analyse these answers, asking yourself if the various findings represent constraints or opportunities in terms of people’s ability to achieve nutrition security. If possible, make a distinction between those issues over which the community has direct control (Strengths and Weaknesses) and those beyond the control of the community (Opportunities and Threats). |
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Weaknesses in the community |
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Opportunities from outside the community |
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Threats from outside the community |
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Additional information |
List any other observations beyond the immediate scope of the key questions |
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How to facilitate:
1. Before starting the Evaluation and Planning Meeting, prepare the matrix on a large sheet of paper. Fill in the fields: Type of group, Tool, Team and Key questions.
2. Every team that facilitated one group fills in a short and summarised version of the results gathered during the exercise, according to the key questions. The main problems, constraints and opportunities to overcome these problems are also filled in, according to the collected information.
3. Also other additional information, e.g. from direct observation, is written in the last row "Additional information".
4. For each key question, ask if the answer is satisfactory. If not, ask what information is still missing?
5. Every team presents its results. The full appraisal team discusses the results and fills in the sections “Conclusions” and “Questions still to be answered”.
Examples of key questions:
1. Are there new questions which have to be answered during the following days?
2. Are some results of the different groups contradicting? What issues still need to be clarified?
3. Do the results reflect different perceptions or interests from different groups, e.g. women and men, rich and poor, different religious groups, etc.?
