By Kristi Sturtz, ALM, AICP
Sustainability State of Play and Root Cause Analysis
When it comes to improving community well-being and driving positive change, understanding the current situation, and underlying reasons for the situation are important first steps. This is where State of Play Research and a Root Cause Analysis come into play. When combined, these two practices offer a comprehensive picture of where a community’s sustainability stands and why it is in its current state, enabling the development of a targeted strategy that can effectively address the community’s needs.
What is involved in Sustainability State of Play Research?
State of Play Research involves an in-depth assessment that captures the current conditions, strengths, challenges, and opportunities within a community. It is a snapshot of the “here and now,” providing a detailed understanding of various aspects such as:
Demographics: Population, age, gender, race and ethnicity, education levels, and income distribution.
Environmental Conditions: Physical environment, including climate, weather, terrain, soils, land uses, water resources, air quality, and environmental challenges.
Economic Situation: Economic employment base, employment rates, local businesses, economic drivers, and areas of economic distress.
Social and Cultural Factors: Health issues, cultural practices, and community engagement, in addition to availability and access to healthcare, transportation, housing and fresh food.
Research involves a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods and should be sought from credible sources. Quantitative research can be found from the U. S. Census, U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, ESRI, the Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tool, and more. Qualitative research can be conducted in a variety of ways including through interviews, surveys, focus groups, and other meaningful public engagement approaches. Existing plans and assessments produced by local governments, non-profit organizations, and foundations as well as historical records and accounts are often useful resources to review for information. Breaking information down into geographic and population sub-areas for comparison helps to identify inequities. The purpose of this analysis is to paint a clear picture of the community’s current state, highlighting areas of strength that can be leveraged and identifying challenges that need to be addressed.
What is a Root Cause Analysis in Relation to the State of Play?
Once a community’s State of Play Research is completed, the next step is to understand the “why” behind the current conditions. This is where Root Cause Analysis (RCA) comes into play. RCA is a methodical approach used to identify the underlying reasons—or root causes—of the issues identified in the State of Play Analysis. It involves:
Problem and Paradox Identification: Clearly define the problems or challenges highlighted in the State of Play and seek out where paradoxes arise in the research.
Cause Identification: Investigate the underlying causes that contribute to the problems by conducting further research and asking a series of “why” questions to dig deeper into each issue.
Analysis and Synthesis: Connect the dots between various causes to better understand how they interact to create the current state.
Root Cause Analysis is particularly valuable because it moves beyond surface-level symptoms to identify the fundamental factors contributing to the community’s challenges. During this process, it is important to refrain from making assumptions so that effective interventions can be developed that tackle the issues at their source. Given limited time and budgets, do the best you can with the resources that you have, and when there are gaps in information acknowledge them so they might be able to be explored at another time.
The Benefits of a Combined Approach
The combination of State of Play Research and Root Cause Analysis provides a holistic understanding of a community’s current situation and can be of great benefit to community endeavors in a variety of ways. Leaders and stakeholders can be equipped with a shared understanding of detailed insights of a community allowing them to make decisions based on real data and evidence rather than assumptions. Interventions can be developed that address the underlying problems, rather than just the symptoms, which increases the likelihood of long-term success. Resources can be allocated more effectively, ensuring that efforts are focused where they can have the most significant impact. The process of community engagement strengthens community bonds and increases buy-in for subsequent interventions. In all, addressing root causes rather than symptoms leads to more sustainable outcomes. Solutions are designed to be sustainable and long-lasting, reducing the need for repeated interventions in the future.