Let’s be honest – when it comes to making a real difference in the world, you’re not here for quick fixes or band-aid solutions. No, you’re after real systemic change. You know, the kind that shakes up industries, rewires outdated systems and puts the world on a better, more sustainable path. And not surprisingly, the first step towards achieving that goal (for social enterprises) is understanding the world you want to change through a process we call issue analysis.
So what is an issue analysis exactly?
What is an Issue Analysis?
Behind any issue is a complex web of stakeholders and solutions that must first be properly understood in order to create impact. In its simplest sense, an issue analysis is a way to map out this web (of stakeholders and solutions) and better understand the flaws of the value chain.
A completed issue analysis gives you a better idea of what a value chain looks like as-is. For example, it helps identify which hurdles you must overcome, which solutions have already been tested out and where the biggest gaps are in the value chain.
To illustrate: After completing the issue analysis for our Agrifood domain in East Africa, Enviu identified post-harvest losses as an ideal intervention point. This led to the creation of SokoFresh, our post-harvest cold storage-as-a-service venture. However, this one business alone would not change the whole system. That is why we complimented it with a market linkage and processing venture. This, in turn, filled in the gaps of the value chain.
So as a rule of thumb, it’s best to kick off an issue analysis by identifying a rough idea of what you want to focus on. Then, once completed, the analysis will often generate other, new ways to look at the issue.
Note: you don’t have to conduct an issue analysis to create a successful business—many great companies start with just one brilliant idea! But if you want to change entire systems, it often takes more than one business. The way each one fits into the bigger picture is crucial. That’s why, for venture-building programs, issue analysis isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential.
Getting started with an issue analysis
The first step is data collection. This starts with desk research. In other words, gathering quantitative data around an issue from the comfort and ease of your desk or office. Then, you will want to supplement that data with qualitative data; data which gives context to your initial findings. This data is often gathered in the field.
In order to successfully coordinate your field work, we recommend developing an ecosystem map – a document whereby you take a closer look at who is involved (e.g. experts, knowledge institutions, other businesses, governments and even civil society). This will help you define who you should talk to in order to properly understand the issue.
Using this document, you’ll conduct an intensive period of fieldwork, which often reveals that the assumptions we made during the deskwork were, in fact, incorrect. Hence, the need for both types of research!
So how do you gather this data in practice? Here are a few methods:
- Conducting site visits: visiting the physical locations of various “parts” within the value chain show you how things really work and reveals whether the data tells the full story.
- Performing in-depth interviews: Interviews are a rich resource that will aid in understanding the various ways in which the current value chain affects individuals. The best part – one interview leads to another and multiple referrals help you flesh out your ecosystem map.
- Researching existing solutions: Let’s be honest: reinventing the wheel is a bit pointless. By getting a clear picture of what already exists, we can spot opportunities for collaboration and pinpoint the gaps in the value chain that need to be filled.
Tips for an effective issue analysis
When it comes to actually building your solutions, it’s important to keep multiple methodologies in mind throughout the design process.
While we – here at Enviu – don’t follow a formal methodology when conducting an issue analysis, there are some key approaches or mindsets that we would advise you to follow:
- Leave your assumptions behind: Ask open questions and remain open to learning continuously. The point of an issue analysis is not to confirm what you think you know, but to better understand what you don’t know.
- Keep solutions in mind: At the end of the day, you are building solutions. By keeping this concept at the top of mind, you will more easily be able to recognise potential and opportunities along the way.
Bringing your research together
In the final steps, you will take this vast amount of information and distill it into conceptual conclusions. Not only is this the key to an effective issue analysis, but it also requires a certain degree of boldness. This is the stage in which you will concisely convey the flaws of the current system and put forward a strong vision of what a better future could look like (and the solutions necessary to make that a possibility). A clear conclusion and a strong call-to-action are crucial in this last step. Why? An issue analysis serves as the starting point for onboarding funders, knowledge partners and other experts.
Congrats! You’ve successfully completed your first Issue Analysis! But don’t stop there! By sharing your learnings and spreading knowledge across all the right channels, you can inspire and influence others to join your initiative.
How Enviu is building a better future
Check out some examples of Enviu’s various issue analyses from our programs:
