Strategy Survival Guide

Structuring the thinking - Issue trees
In Practice: SU Childcare Project
The SU Childcare project used an issue tree to identify all the issues in the childcare arena. By breaking
out all the questions in this way, the team:
• designed the overall project plan
• constructed workstreams
• gave a kick-start to the process of work planning within these workstreams
• began to think about the structure of the report and other communications.
The team decided to develop the tree in some detail as it was proving helpful in work planning.
Example: A fully worked-out example from the Childcare project
The team continued to revisit the issue tree as the project unfolded as a means of monitoring progress and
to kick start thinking as new workstreams were started up.
The first couple of levels of the tree and, crucially, the opening problem statement, were discussed as a
team – though a number of team members had attempted first cuts from which we worked. A smaller team
then further developed the tree and translated it into the project plan.
Strategy Survival Guide – Strategy Skills
Page 93