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Problem Definition Sheet (PDS) – Guidance and Template

Capability Building

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 Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - �you may use and share this file, but please attribute it to thepsc.co.uk

 Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - �you may use and share this file, but please attribute it to thepsc.co.uk

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  1. Stakeholders, decision makers and project resourcing
  2. Who are the project lead, sponsor and project mentor?
  3. What type of project governance is needed to monitor quality, decide on plans and provide external challenge (e.g., project board, steering group)?
  4. Who are the key stakeholders with whom you must engage? Where do you expect the most support for this project to come from?
  5. Who are your delivery partners (e.g., information team)?
  1. Scope of the work
  2. What's included within the project and what's not?
  3. If it is out of scope, is it being reviewed elsewhere?
  1. Context / background
  2. Why is the work being done now?

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  1. Desired outputs and criteria for success
  2. What are the key performance indicators (financial and non-financial) that will show the project has been successful? What targets are you aiming for on each one (e.g., at least one option which meets criteria X/Y/Z; stakeholder support for our proposal to meet criteria X/Y/Z; a pilot demonstration of achieving Q/C/D)?
  3. What specific end products are required?
  4. Goals should be ‘SMART’ (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely)
  1. Outline timings and milestones
  2. When are the project steering groups or end of phase reviews?
  3. When are the key deliverables due?

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  1. Constraints and risks/dependencies/interfaces
  2. Outline the key likely risks/constraints to the project and any interaction with other projects or work
  3. Consider how the project will impact those in protected characteristic groups

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Basic question to be resolved: As specific as possible and within this as succinct as possible – question should be time-bounded and refer to a specific organisation, department or process. Describe the underlying question that the project is aiming to answer, so you can use it to shape your analysis and test your hypotheses.

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Problem Definition Sheet

Guidance

 Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - �you may use and share this file, but please attribute it to thepsc.co.uk

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  1. Stakeholders, decision makers and project resourcing
  2. Sponsors:
  3. Steering:
  4. Leads:
  5. Key Stakeholders:
  6. Delivery team:
  7. Support:
  1. Scope of the work

In scope:

  • -

Out of scope:

  • -
  1. Context / background

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  1. Desired outputs and criteria for success

Output:

  • -

Success criteria:

  • -

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  1. Outline timings and milestones

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  1. Constraints and risks/dependencies/interfaces

Challenges:

  • -

Risks:

  • -

Basic question to be resolved

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Problem Definition Sheet

Template

 Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - �you may use and share this file, but please attribute it to thepsc.co.uk

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How to use a PDS (from our FEP & PSAT programmes)

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Google Slides instructions

What is this tool?

The Problem Definition Sheet (‘PDS’) is a one page overview of the objectives for a ‘problem solving’ project where the required output and success factors are clear (the ‘solution space’), but the answer is not. Its main purpose is to ensure that the project team and stakeholders start the project from the same base.

Tips for problem definition

  • The PDS is most useful when it’s a live document, reviewed and refined regularly by the team with their sponsor – use a first draft when scoping and test it widely with the team and stakeholders until you are sure everyone is on the same page. Don’t be afraid to return to the PDS to reflect your increased understanding, or if stakeholders seek to widen the scope
  • Expect to spend 60% of the time agreeing the ‘question’ – which your issue tree will structure into workstreams and your hypothesis tree will aim to answer – as it drives all your problem solving. It should be as specific as possible and within this as succinct as possible. The question should be time-bounded and refer to a specific organisation/department or process
  • Make sure you identify both the outputs of your project (e.g., a report of options or recommendations, or an implemented solution) and the success criteria (e.g., when you meet these you will stop)

When to use this tool?�The PDS should be used throughout the project. It guides the problem solving towards an answer to the ‘question’ which meets the success criteria, and helps the team stay within the boundaries for timing, resourcing and scope

  • The guiding question is coloured to highlight its role as the focus of the problem solving
  • This template is created with three table shapes, each one column wide. The top one is a single cell. Adjust the other two to match your content – just make sure they meet in the middle, and align at the bottom (we recommend keeping them in the suggested sequence 1-7)

Find more tools, templates and videos at:

thepsc.co.uk/capability-building/

 Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License - �you may use and share this file, but please attribute it to thepsc.co.uk