A problem statement is a concise summary of the issue the project or intervention aims to address. The goal of developing a problem statement is to ensure everyone on the project has the same understanding of the issue.

A problem statement should address questions such as:

• What is the specific problem that the program/project is looking to address?

• Why is this a problem?

• What do we know about the problem?

• Who is affected by this problem?

Problem statements are often included in logic models or theories of change.

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