Managing issues in project management is crucial for ensuring smooth project execution and achieving desired outcomes. Proactively addressing issues allows teams to detect and resolve problems early, preventing them from escalating into significant risks or blockers. By logging and analysing recurring issues, organizations can implement long-term solutions, leading to continuous improvement in processes and project results. Effective issue management also aids in resource allocation by prioritizing issues based on their severity, ensuring critical challenges are addressed first, and optimizing the use of resources to avoid delays and inefficiencies. Moreover, managing issues enhances communication and transparency within the team and with stakeholders, fostering trust and engagement. It also strengthens risk management by identifying potential risks early and enabling better contingency planning. An organized issues database serves as a knowledge repository, helping teams learn from past challenges and adopt best practices for future projects. This data-driven approach supports informed decision-making and facilitates the creation of bottom-up projects that address real needs. Ultimately, effective issue management contributes to maintaining project schedules, ensuring deliverable quality, and increasing the likelihood of project success. ## Problem Solving Our approach to problem solving is to document the observed characteristics, gather facts, brainstorm and evaluate possible solutions, structure the approach including costing. Manage action to resolve problems, or issues, as part of a project and once the resolution confirmed, learning and feedback. ### What Is a Problem A [problem is generally defined](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/problem) as a situation, question, or condition that requires attention, resolution, or improvement. It often involves a gap between the current state and a desired state, causing difficulty, stress, or uncertainty for individuals or systems. Defining a Problem involves clearly identifying and articulating the issue to understand its root causes and impact. This process is critical in problem-solving because it ensures that the organization directs its efforts towards addressing the right issue. Key steps include: - Questioning why the problem exists to uncover its root cause - Gathering data and insights from stakeholders or observations to understand the problem’s context. - Writing a [Problem Statement](https://www.betterup.com/blog/problem-statement): Summarizing the issue in a clear and concise manner to focus on what needs to change without suggesting solutions - Analysing Impact: Understanding who is affected, where it occurs, and why it matters Tools such as brainstorming, interviews, and diagrams (e.g. Fishbone diagrams) can help structure this process. By defining a problem effectively, individuals and organizations can prioritize solutions and avoid misdirected efforts. ### Why Solve Problems – Context What do we mean by problem solving? Our solution to problem solving, or rather, how to solve problems, is first, to call them issues. But whatever you call them, is to resolve them with actions. So the logical step to solving a problem is to express what the problem is. And to identify potential solutions. To do that you will probably need to identify the causes. ### Problem (Issues) analysis And so, problem-solving is first to structure the issues, their causes, potential solutions and actions required. First. Express as clearly as possible the observed phenomenon. Then identify possible causes and solutions. Look at the feasibility, and cost, of implementing any chosen solution, and the cost of not solving it. Mindmapping and UML can be used to look for connections, to think laterally, and thus generate more potential solutions. The key to solving problems is defining them and collating the related information. Initially, try to identify all sources of relevant information, without trying to conclude which will be the best solution too early. It is impossible to know what is essential before assessing all sources. ### Mindmapping in problem solving [[Use Mind Mapping to describe any subject]], in problem-solving and to focus on any domain. A mindmap can thus help identify valuable sources of information or solutions by lateral, open thinking. ![[Problem solving context.png]] ## Issue management database Observation: the observed phenomenon which constitutes the issue. A piece of software not operating properly, a leaky pipe, etc. Cause: what might have caused the issue? Initially this can only be a hypothesis, so the field could be ‘possible cause’. Solution: the possible solution. Or the potential solution. The actual solution chosen depends on further analysis. Objective: an idea of why you want to solve the issue. Cost of doing is the project, resource or time cost of solving an issue. The cost of NOT DOING, or solving the issue might be much greater. Take safety-critical applications such as aviation. The cost of a refit or repair might be high, but the cost of not doing might be very significant. Resolution is the effect subsequent to the application of the solution, how the solution was applied, whether it was appropriate and successful and lessons learned. ### Structured issues ![[problem solving and evernote.png]] One way of storing problems and potential solutions is in note-taking software which allows free-form expression, and provides for the creation of links to related information sources. ![[problem-solving-capture-process.png]] But we also believe in structuring an issue, with a view to solving it. This is possible in Notion. ![[Issues can be stored in Notion.png]] The notion database above includes fields which structure the issue to focus on possible actions to implement solutions. ### Notion issue management database This is the Notion Issue Management database: ![[notion-issues-database.png]] Which includes the above fields as follows: ![[essential-issue-fields.png|300]] - Identify a problem by its symptoms - Distinguish cause from symptoms - Look for solutions rather than focus exclusively on the problem - Search for useful external resources. ### Access issue management database We first used Access to manage issues. This is a screen from the Access Translation Database, which was also built to manage tasks, issues and objectives. This issue manager built in Access was ported to the Notion Issues database. It includes the area of focus, the objective (qualitative desired outcome), a quantitative target value for the objective, an evaluation of the current situation and the next action to drive towards achieving the desired outcome. ![[issue-management-screen.png]] ![[issue-database-form.png]] ## Why it is important to manage issues Managing issues in the context of project management is critical for several reasons, particularly when creating bottom-up projects from an issue database. Here’s why it matters ### Proactive Problem-Solving Early Detection: Effective issue management allows project teams to identify and address problems as they arise, preventing them from escalating into more significant risks or project blockers. Continuous Improvement: By logging and analysing issues, organizations can identify recurring problems and implement long-term solutions, leading to process improvements and better project outcomes. ### Resource Allocation Prioritization: An issue database helps in prioritizing issues based on their severity and impact. This ensures that critical issues are addressed first, optimizing the use of resources. Efficiency: By understanding the nature and frequency of issues, project managers can allocate resources more efficiently, avoiding bottlenecks and delays. ### Enhanced Communication Transparency: An organized issue management process improves transparency within the project team and with stakeholders. Everyone is aware of the current challenges and the steps being taken to resolve them. Stakeholder Engagement: Keeping stakeholders informed about issues and their resolution builds trust and ensures that their concerns are addressed promptly. ### Risk Management Risk Identification: Many issues can serve as early indicators of potential risks. By managing issues effectively, project managers can anticipate and mitigate risks before they become critical. Contingency Planning: An understanding of common issues leads to better contingency planning, as project teams can prepare for similar challenges in future projects. ### Knowledge Management Lessons learned: An issue database serves as a valuable repository of lessons learned. By analysing past issues, teams can avoid repeating mistakes in future projects. Best Practices: It enables the identification and documentation of best practices for issue resolution, which can be applied across the organization. ### Improved Decision-Making Data-Driven Decisions: A well-maintained issues database provides empirical data that can inform decision-making, helping project managers make more informed, objective decisions. Bottom-Up Project Initiation: Issues recorded in a database can highlight areas needing attention, leading to the creation of bottom-up projects. These projects are initiated based on actual needs and challenges identified on the ground, ensuring relevance and alignment with organizational goals. ### Project Success By effectively managing and resolving issues, *projects are more likely to stay on schedule*, as unaddressed issues are a common cause of delays. Managing issues helps maintain the quality of the project deliverables by ensuring that problems affecting quality are resolved promptly. ## Create Projects from Issues Bottom-up projects derived from an issue database are inherently aligned with real-world challenges, making them more likely to address genuine needs and deliver tangible value. This approach empowers teams and individuals closest to the issues to propose solutions, fostering a culture of ownership and innovation. Bottom-up projects allow organizations to be more *responsive* and adaptive to changing conditions, as they are directly informed by the latest issues and challenges. In summary, managing issues in project management is essential for ensuring project success, improving processes, and making informed decisions. When combined with the creation of bottom-up projects from an issue database, it allows organizations to be agile, proactive, and closely aligned with real-world needs.