Root Cause Tree

Use this resource to break a problem down into its causes.

A Root Cause Tree assists students in identifying the main cause of their problem and to give them a comprehensive understanding of the causes and consequences of a problem.

Using the Root Cause Tree Template, students write their chosen problem in the middle of the page.

Then they begin in the branches. We always begin in the branches as this identifies the consequences of their problem. It’s also a great litmus test to see if they have chosen the right problem for them (do they know enough about this problem). In the branches, students should identify 5 consequences by asking themselves ‘What are the five biggest consequences of this problem?’. Once they have identified these 5 consequences, for each one they should record their response to the prompt ‘and then what happens?’. This is where they branch out their thinking even further – drawing lines outside the boxes, and writing down additional ideas. Keep doing this until they can no longer answer. The top of their page, ideally, will be full of ideas.

Once they have completed the branches at the top it’s time to move onto the roots. This is where students identify the causes. In the roots, students should identify 5 root causes of their problem by asking themselves ‘What are the five biggest causes of this problem?’. Once they have identified these 5 causes, for each one they should record their response to the prompt ‘and why does that happen?’. Again, students create additional lines to branch out their thinking. Keep doing this until they can no longer answer. The bottom of their page, ideally, will be full of ideas.

To close out the activity, ask students to pick one of their root causes which they think is the most important. It could be a root cause in one of the first five boxes, or it could be an additional cause they developed. Choosing this root cause gives them an access point to build solutions to the problem. They now have something much more specific which they can target.