Global problems cannot be solved one-at-a-time. By their very nature, global problems are complex, intractable, and interrelated. Often, our best efforts to solve global problems fail or even make them worse. Global problems often stress our decision-making processes and institutional capacities beyond their limits and spiral out of control.

Even the best organizations rarely excel at doing more than one thing at a time. Most individuals are hard-pressed to track more than seven variables at once. Yet we live in a seamless web of interrelated global problems, each of which may feed into and shape other problems. Moreover, we do not yet agree on what constitutes global problems, let alone global solutions. Consequently, humanity searches for global solutions at cross-purposes and even in conflict. The result is global gridlock.

Global problem-solving identifies practical ways to untangle this snarl of interrelated global problems by o mapping global problems in depth o identifying multiple solutions to global problems o sharing strategic tools o and creating collaborative partnerships to apply these tools to realize global solutions.

What is Global Problem Solving

Framing Global Problems

Global Problem Solving Tools