Problem Definition is about establishing the genuine investment need before considering the Solution.
A strong Problem should explain what is happening, why it matters, what is causing it and what evidence supports the need for change.
The aim is to move beyond symptoms, Asset conditions or assumed fixes and define the organisational or service limitation that actually matters.
A useful test is:
What is this preventing the organisation or service from being able to deliver, sustain or respond to?
Strong Problem Definition helps create strategic choice later in the investment process. If the Problem is framed too narrowly around an Asset, system or preferred Solution, the range of credible Responses will also be constrained.
The resource below summarises the five principles for defining a strong investment Problem: Material, Cause and Effect, Evidence-based, Solution-agnostic and Investment-focused.