Practical Skills
Checklist on problem specification
This checklist is for those trying to address problems, to check that what they are doing makes sense. It is taken from the report Working out what to do: Evidence-based crime reduction by Nick Tilley and Gloria Laycock, published in January 2002 as Crime Reduction Research Series Paper 11.
It links to Table 10 from the same report which provides a checklist for police agencies and local partnerships to check that they are set up to deliver effective evidence based practice.
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Table 11: Checklist on problem specification and tactics for problem-solvers
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Key Questions |
Answered satisfactorily? |
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Regarding problem specification: |
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Has reputable research been consulted concerning the typical attributes of the problem? What is it? |
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Has local research been undertaken to find out whether these attributes exist in your particular circumstances? Summarise it. |
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Have local data been analysed to find out whether there are special conditions particular to your problem? Summarise it. |
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Regarding tactics: |
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Have reputable studies of similar problems been traced and read? List them and summarise their main findings. |
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Have potential change mechanisms, that have successfully been activated elsewhere, been identified? What are they? |
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Have potential means of triggering these mechanisms been identified? What are they? |
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Has the local context been analysed to determine whether these measures are likely effectively to activate the change mechanisms? What are the key features of the context? |
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Has the possibility of triggering mechanisms producing unwanted side-effects been considered in the local problem’s context? What evidence is there that they can realistically be expected? What are they and what effects might be expected? How might they be avoided? |
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Has the possibility of triggering mechanisms producing beneficial side-effects been considered in the local problem’s context? What evidence is there that they can realistically be expected? What are they and what effects might be expected? How might they be enhanced? |
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What specific intended and unintended effects are expected, at what time, for which groups as a result of the proposed tactics? |
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Last update: 10/09/03