Problem Framing Canvas (Simplified)

What is the Problem? Who else has this problem? Why haven’t we solved it?
Who else is impacted?  It’s New
Type here  It’s Hard
Type here  It’s Low Priority
 Other

What are the elements of the problem? What would be accomplished What is the impact of “doing
if this challenge is overcome? nothing” / no change?
Policy, Funding, Technology, etc.

 Element X
 Element Y
 Element Z

Stated another way, the problem is:

How might we create ways to ____________________________________________________________________________

Act on pain/gain

for _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Persona

while considering _____________________________________________________________________________________

Other stakeholders

as we aim to _________________________________________________________________________________________?
Job to be done ©2018 The MITRE Corporation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Approved for public release. Distribution unlimited 18-1663-4
Bad problem statements (John Miller)
1.Assign a cause
2.Contain the solution
3.Are based on conjecture or belief rather than fact
4.Are too long
5.Do not describe actual current condition or problem condition
6.Do not describe the ideal or desired condition
7.Are not measurable
8.Are unclear
9.Are not specific
10.Refer to issues outside of the scope of the actual problem

©2018 The MITRE Corporation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Approved for public release. Distribution unlimited 18-1663-4