LESSON 3

PROBLEM SOLVING
PROBLEM SOLVING

• Problem solving is the act of defining a problem; determining the cause of the problem;
identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a
solution.
THE PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS

• In order to effectively manage and run a successful organization, leadership must guide
their employees and develop problem-solving techniques. Finding a suitable solution for
issues can be accomplished by following the basic four-step problem-solving process and
methodology outlined below.
1. Define the problem
• Diagnose the situation so that your focus is on the problem, not just its symptoms. Helpful problem-
solving techniques include using flowcharts to identify the expected steps of a process and cause-
and-effect diagrams to define and analyze root causes.
• The sections below help explain key problem-solving steps. These steps support the involvement of
interested parties, the use of factual information, comparison of expectations to reality, and a focus
on root causes of a problem. You should begin by:
 Reviewing and documenting how processes currently work (i.e., who does what, with what
information, using what tools, communicating with what organizations and individuals, in what
time frame, using what format).
• 2. Generate alternative solutions
Postpone the selection of one solution until several problem-solving alternatives have
been proposed. Considering multiple alternatives can significantly enhance the value
of your ideal solution. Once you have decided on the "what should be" model, this
target standard becomes the basis for developing a road map for investigating
alternatives. Brainstorming and team problem-solving techniques are both useful tools
in this stage of problem solving.
Many alternative solutions to the problem should be generated before final evaluation.
A common mistake in problem solving is that alternatives are evaluated as they are
proposed, so the first acceptable solution is chosen, even if it’s not the best fit. If we
focus on trying to get the results we want, we miss the potential for learning
something new that will allow for real improvement in the problem-solving process.
• 3. Evaluate and select an alternative
Skilled problem solvers use a series of considerations when selecting the best alternative. They
consider the extent to which:
o A particular alternative will solve the problem without causing other unanticipated problems.
o All the individuals involved will accept the alternative.
o Implementation of the alternative is likely.
o The alternative fits within the organizational constraints.
• 4. Implement and follow up on the solution
Leaders may be called upon to direct others to implement the solution, "sell" the solution, or
facilitate the implementation with the help of others. Involving others in the implementation is
an effective way to gain buy-in and support and minimize resistance to subsequent changes.
Regardless of how the solution is rolled out, feedback channels should be built into the
implementation. This allows for continuous monitoring and testing of actual events against
expectations. Problem solving, and the techniques used to gain clarity, are most effective if the
solution remains in place and is updated to respond to future changes. https://asq.org/quality-
resources/problem-solving
 ECOSYSTEMS

LESSON 1. THE ECOSYSTEM: DEFINITION AND ITS LINK TO HUMANKIND

• The simplest definition of an ecosystem is that it is a community or group of living organisms that live
in and interact with each other in a specific environment.
• For instance, tropical forests are ecosystems made up of living beings such as trees, plants, animals,
insects and micro-organisms that are in constant interaction between themselves and that are affected by
other physical (sun, temperature) or chemical (oxygen or nutrients) components.
Ecosystem Scientific Definition
• An ecosystem is the basic unit of the field of the
scientific study of nature. According to this discipline,
an ecosystem is a physically defined environment,
made up of two inseparable components:
The biotope (abiotic): a particular physical environment with
specific physical characteristics such as the climate,
temperature, humidity, concentration of nutrients or pH.
• The biocenosis (biotic): a set of living organisms
such as animals, plants or micro-organisms, that are
in constant interaction and are, therefore, in a
situation of interdependence.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE LINKS BETWEEN
ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES?
 Links between Ecosystems and Human Activities
We’ve managed to control fire, practice agriculture, and build transportation vehicles.
We’ve built factories, dams, solar panels and we’re constantly finding new ways of
exploring space. Still, the human race’s thirst to use, modify and transform natural
ecosystems seems endless. For instance, when we transform a plain to grow cereal
fields, we’re significantly modifying that local ecosystem. Sometimes, we even end up
completely changing it from its original foundations.
 Today, human activities have such an impact on ecosystems that we now speak of the Anthropocene timeline. This is a
period that defines the significant human impact of human activities on the Earth’s atmospheric, biospheric, geologic and
hydrologic systems. This period in time also considers changes happening due to climate change events, which is also
mainly caused by human activities. We can see all these changes everywhere. When trees are taken down in the
Amazonian forest, the ecosystems change as species struggle to survive and the local humidity and the climate both
change. As well, building a dam also changes the distribution of water and affects the species living along the river’s
course.
 An example often used about how human activities affect ecosystems is the US Yellowstone National Park. Here, as in
other national parks, the U.S. Biological Survey decided to kill wolfs and other species as a predator control measure. The
problem was that the disappearance of the wolf population affected all the ecosystem in the long run, even changing the
course of the local river. The wolf was later reintroduced in the Park, around 70 years later, in an attempt to restore the
balance of the ecosystem.
Why Is Preserving Ecosystems Important?
Like all other living beings, humans are defendant on natural ecosystem services to
survive. We need it to get the food we eat, the water we drink and to transform raw
materials into our everyday products. So in order to keep our living conditions, it’s truly
important that we preserve natural ecosystems.
For example, the agriculture that provides our food depends on the characteristics of a
specific ecosystem. Cereals or vegetables grow only under certain conditions of
temperature and humidity. They also need certain natural processes, such as pollination, to
take place. If we change these characteristics too intensely, there is the risk that we aren’t
able to produce what we produce today, or at least not in the same way. That’s why there
are some agricultural techniques that understand and manage food production (such as
agroforestry, permaculture or regenerative agriculture) that the wider impacts of using
herbicides, pesticides, exhausting nearby water sources or betting on different types of
trees that make ecosystems more resilient.
TASK #5
• SEARCH A PICTURE OF AN ECOSYSTEM

• CHOOSE 1 ABIOTIC FACTOR AND 1

BIOTIC FACTOR AND DESCRIBE THEIR
RELATIONSHIP.