IN THIS LESSON YOU WILL

1) Select a problem your team will solve

Selecting a problem means choosing one clear issue your team will focus on from now up to the NCC competitions.

This is important because:

• Your time is limited.

• Your energy is limited.

• Your project becomes strong when your team concentrates on one direction.

A good team does not try to solve “everything.”
A good team chooses one problem, understands it deeply, and builds a strong solution for it.

2) Learn what a problem statement is

A problem statement is a short, clear explanation of the problem your team is addressing.

It is not your solution.
It is not your app description.
It is the problem, written in a way that keeps your team focused and helps judges understand your project.

A good problem statement is like a compass.
Whenever the team gets confused, you go back to it and ask:
“Does what we are doing still match our problem?”

3) Write a problem statement for your project

Writing the problem statement together helps your team:

• Agree on what you are solving

• Avoid confusion later

• Speak with one voice in your pitch

• Build features that match real user needs

A strong problem statement also improves:

• Your research section

• Your Lean Canvas

• Your prototype development

• Your pitch video script

• Your competition presentation

ACTIVITIES

CHOOSING A PROBLEM

By now, your team has:

• brainstormed many problems

• categorized them using SDGs

• researched scale and impact

• observed the community

• identified possible partners

Now you must decide.

Why choosing is difficult

Choosing a meaningful problem is hard because:

• different team members prefer different ideas

• some problems feel emotional and urgent

• some problems look easy but are too small

• some problems are big but too hard to solve in one school term

That is normal.

The goal is not to choose the “perfect” problem.
The goal is to choose a real problem you can prove, explain, and realistically address with technology.

What makes a problem “meaningful”?

A meaningful problem has several qualities.

1) It is real and observable

This means the problem is not based on rumours or guesses.
You have proof such as:

• interviews

• survey results

• photos

• records from schools, clinics, or community leaders

• reports or statistics

Uganda example:
If your team says “students lack revision materials,” you should show:

• how many students share textbooks

• how often teachers give notes

• how many learners can access internet resources

• evidence from interviews with learners and teachers

2) It affects people significantly

A meaningful problem should affect people’s life, safety, learning, income, health, or dignity.

Uganda examples:

• learners missing school due to lack of sanitary products

• boda riders having no quick way to report blackspots or accidents

• farmers losing money because they lack market price information

• people failing to access health reminders or clinic schedules

The question is:
“What happens when this problem is not solved?”

If the answer is “nothing serious,” then the problem may be too weak.

3) It affects a clear group of people

Your problem should have a clear target group.

Not: “Ugandans.”
But:

• S2 and S3 learners in rural schools

• pregnant mothers visiting Health Centre III

• market vendors in a specific town council

• farmers growing maize in a specific region

When your users are clear, your solution becomes clearer.

4) It is specific, not too broad

Broad problems are hard to solve.

Example of broad:

• poverty

• corruption

• climate change

• unemployment

These are real problems, but too wide.

Instead, narrow them down.

Uganda example:
Broad: “youth unemployment”
Specific: “senior six leavers in Jinja struggle to find verified internship opportunities because information is scattered and untrusted.”

This specific problem can be researched, validated, and solved with an app.

5) It has room for innovation

This means:

• the problem is not already solved perfectly

• existing solutions have gaps

• your team can add value

Uganda example:
If many school revision apps exist, but:

• most require constant internet

• most do not match the Uganda syllabus

• most are not local-language friendly
  Then your innovation is:
  an offline syllabus-aligned revision companion.

6) It is feasible within your resources and time

A meaningful problem must be possible to address with the resources you have.

Ask:

• Can we collect data safely and legally?

• Can we build a working prototype in App Inventor or a web app?

• Can we test it with real users?

• Can we explain it clearly at the NCC pitch?

Uganda example:
Building a full mobile money system is not feasible.
But building a budgeting planner for students or a SACCO savings tracker is feasible.

7) The team is passionate about it

Passion matters because this project will take weeks.

If the team is not motivated, they will stop halfway.

The best teams choose a problem they care about personally:

• because they have seen it

• because they have experienced it

• because it affects their school or family

Passion improves teamwork and persistence.

ACTIVITY 1: CHOOSING A PROBLEM

Estimated time: 20–30 minutes

Step 1: List your top 2–3 problems

Write them clearly.

Step 2: Each member advocates for one problem

“Advocating” means explaining why it should be chosen.

Each advocate must answer:

• What is the problem exactly?

• Who is affected?

• What evidence do we have?

• Why is it important?

• Can we realistically solve part of it?

Step 3: Use a decision method

Your team should agree on a fair method like:

• scoring criteria (impact, evidence, feasibility, passion)

• discussion until consensus

• voting only after discussion

Consensus means:
Even if it wasn’t your first choice, you support the team decision.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Once you choose your problem, you must write a problem statement.

Why the problem statement is important

It helps you:

• stay focused

• avoid building extra features that don’t help

• explain your project clearly to judges

• write strong pitch scripts

• create a good project description

What a problem statement must answer

Your problem statement must answer 4 key questions:

1) What is the problem?

State it clearly and specifically.

2) Who does the problem affect?

Mention your target users.

3) How does the problem affect them?

Explain the consequences.

4) Why is it important to solve?

Explain the urgency or impact.

Uganda-Style Problem Statement Example

Example Problem: Poor school attendance tracking

Problem statement:
“In many secondary schools in rural Uganda, class teachers still record attendance using paper registers. This affects students, class teachers, and school administrators because records are easily lost, errors are common, and it is difficult to quickly identify persistent absenteeism. As a result, some learners drop behind academically without early intervention. Solving this problem is important because reliable attendance tracking supports better follow-up, improved performance, and learner retention.”

ACTIVITY 2: WRITING YOUR PROBLEM STATEMENT

Estimated time: 15–25 minutes

Answer the four questions as a team, then combine them into one paragraph.

Team Draft Space

1. What is the problem?

2. Who is affected?

3. How are they affected?

4. Why is it important?

Then write one clean paragraph.

REFLECTION

After writing your problem statement, ask:

• Do we all agree this is our problem?

• Is it specific enough?

• Can someone outside our team understand it quickly?

• Do we have evidence to support it?

• Are we excited to work on it for the rest of the course?

Your problem statement will keep getting stronger as your research improves.

REVIEW OF KEY TERMS

Problem Statement – A brief piece of writing that clearly explains the problem your team is addressing, who it affects, how it affects them, and why it matters.

If you want, I can also create for this lesson:

• a worksheet template (top 3 problems scoring + final problem statement page)

• a problem selection rubric aligned to NCC judging

• a mentor/patron facilitation guide for helping teams reach consensus