---
id: "worksheets:exercise/identify-root-causes"
type: "Solving Public Problems worksheet"
title: "Identify Root Causes: Five X Why"
url: "https://worksheets.solvingpublicproblems.org/exercise/identify-root-causes"
date: "2024-07-11"
summary: "The next step is to break down the problem into smaller units by diagnosing its root causes.Every big problem has small challenges associated with it, and..."
source: "Solving Public Problems worksheets (worksheets.solvingpublicproblems.org), The GovLab and the Burnes Center for Social Change"
licence: "none stated"
---

# Identify Root Causes: Five X Why

Exercise group: Defining a Public Problem · Optional exercise

## About this worksheet

The next step is to break down the problem into smaller units by diagnosing its root causes.Every big problem has small challenges associated with it, and those are more easily acted on.

## Tips

- If you get stuck at any point describing the root causes, ask yourself, “Have I failed to identify a cause, or do I simply need more research to finish this?”
- This exercise will reveal at which level of granularity to tackle the problem. 
- It may also reveal multiple problems, each of which merits its own problem-definition process.

## Questions

1. Make a “list of whys” that describe why the problem is happening. Try to write down at least five root causes.
2. Now ask why those problems are happening and see if you can break down the root causes further.
3. Repeat this exercise five times or until you can go no further.
4. Can you identify the most important root cause that you are also in the best position to work on and most passionate about?

## Source

Solving Public Problems, Chapter 4, p. 90

## PDF version

https://directus.theburnescenter.org/assets/4090d61c-ad58-41ae-86d7-de5d420fbf62

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Original page: https://worksheets.solvingpublicproblems.org/exercise/identify-root-causes · Licence: none stated