NZQA Assessment Support Material
Unit standard
7123
Title
Apply a problem solving method to a problem
Level
2
Vocational pathways
Credits
Version
2
4
Primary Industries; Social and Community Services
Assessor guidelines
Introduction
The following guidelines are supplied to enable assessors to carry out valid and consistent
assessment using this internal assessment resource.
As with all assessment resources, education providers will need to follow their own quality control
processes. Assessors must manage authenticity for any assessment from a public source,
because learners may have access to the assessment schedule or exemplar material. Using this
assessment resource without modification may mean that learners' work is not authentic. The
assessor/educator may need to change figures, measurements or data sources or set a different
context or topic. Assessors need to consider the local context in which learning is taking place and
its relevance for learners.
Assessors need to be very familiar with the outcome being assessed by the unit standard.
The evidence requirements and the explanatory notes contain information, definitions, and
requirements that are crucial when interpreting the standard and assessing learners against it.
Context/setting
This activity requires learners to show they can, in the context of a workplace:

Define a problem;

Choose a problem solving method for an identified problem;

Apply the problem solving method and describe the outcome.
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Level of performance expected
This is a level 2 standard. This means learners should be:

Using factual and/or operational knowledge of a field of work or study.

Apply known solutions to familiar problems and applying Apply standard processes relevant to
the field of work or study.

Working under general supervision, taking some responsibility for their own learning and
performance and collaborating with others.
Conditions of Assessment
For this standard
IDEAL refers to Bransford's IDEAL model for problem solving:
1)
Identify the problem.
2)
Define the problem through thinking about it and sorting out the relevant information.
3)
Explore solutions through looking at alternatives, brainstorming, and checking out different
points of view.
4)
Act on the strategies.
5)
Look back and evaluate the effects of your activity.
de Bono’s 6 hats also known as ‘Six Thinking Hats’ represent thinking processes which help
important decisions to be looked at from a number of different perspectives.
White hat – Facts & Information
Red hat – Feelings & Emotions
Black hat – Critical Judgement
Yellow hat – Positive
Green hat – New Ideas
Blue hat – The Big Picture.
Vocational based examples of problems are included in the assessment task to guide learners and
assessors about the sorts of problems that might be encountered in the workplace that could be
used for assessment of this unit standard.
However, learners should substitute their own problems for assessment in discussion with their
assessors/workplace verifiers. Problems can be occupation-based, or to do with workplace
relationships, for example. It is not appropriate for people to role play interpersonal problem
solving. Where interpersonal relationships are involved, participants in the situation may only
represent themselves.
Resource requirements
Documented policies and procedures or established protocols for workplace performance.
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Assessment Schedule
Unit standard
7123
Title
Apply a problem solving method to a problem
Level
2
Credits
2
Evidence for achieved
Outcome 1
1.1
1.2
Version
4
Judgements for achieved
Define a problem.
The problem is defined in terms of the
nature of the problem, parties involved,
and the effects of the problem.
Responsibility for the problem is defined
and described in terms of problem
ownership, responsibility for solving
problems, sphere of influence, and
authority.
Task 1
Worksheet 1 – Define a problem.
See sample answers for examples of
appropriate responses.
Workplace Verification
Learner defines a problem of their own that
requires solving by describing the problem, the
parties involved and the effects of the problem.
Learner defines and describes appropriate
responsibilities for problem ownership, problem
solving, authority to solve the problem and
sphere of influence.
Workplace verifier confirms that learner has
accurately described the problem, parties to it,
effects, responsibility etc, as above.
Workplace verification is signed and dated.
Verifier is someone in a supervisory role with
appropriate level of responsibility to confirm
accuracy of learner’s description of the problem,
the problem solving method and the outcome
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Outcome 2
Choose a problem solving method for an identified problem.
Range
methods may include but are not limited to – brainstorming, IDEAL, pros/cons, de Bono’s 6 hats.
2.1
Problem solving methods are described in
terms of process steps.
2.2
A problem solving method is selected and
explained in terms of its suitability for
solving the identified problem.
Outcome 3
Task 2
Worksheet 2– Choose two problem solving
methods.
See sample answers for examples of
appropriate responses.
Process steps for two problem solving methods
are accurately described, either in generic steps
or as could be applied to the identified problem.
An appropriate method for solving their own
problem is selected, and justified with three
reasons.
Apply the problem solving method and describe the outcome.
3.1
The chosen method is applied to the
identified problem.
3.2
Results of applying the method to the
problem are described in terms of the
degree to which the outcome is achieved
and conclusions regarding further action.
Task 3
Worksheet 3 – Applying a problem solving
method.
See sample answers for examples of
appropriate responses
Workplace verification.
Workplace verifier confirms that learner has
applied the method, and accurately described
the steps taken and the outcome of applying the
method.
Workplace verification is signed and dated.
Verifier is someone in a supervisory role with
appropriate level of responsibility to confirm
accuracy of learner’s description of the problem,
the problem solving method and the outcome.
Judgements should be holistic, rather than based on a checklist approach.
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Sample answers for unit standard 7123
Apply a problem solving method to a problem Version 4
Vocational pathways – Primary Industries
Worksheet 1 - Defining the problem
Define the problem (1) – What the problem is
What is the problem? (Scenario 2)
I need to get 20 litreS of spray to Farmer A today, but Farmer B has got me caught up in an
important matter for him, and I hardly ever see him. They are both excellent clients for us,
and we encourage clients to talk things over with us whenever we visit.
Who are the parties to the problem?
Me
Farmer A
My company
What are the effects of the problem?
Farmer A will be financially impacted if the spray programme is delayed because additional
contractors have been booked to complete the work.
The company's reputation will be damaged if an order is not met on time.
My reputation will be damaged with Farmer A and within the company if I don't meet
commitments.
Farmer B has a reasonable expectation that I'll stay on for a bit, and could take his custom
elsewhere if he gets put off.
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Define the problem (2) – Responsibilities
Who owns the problem?
I own the problem.
The company also owns the problem because their reputation is at stake and I'm their
representative.
Who is responsible for solving the problem?
I am responsible for solving the problem.
What is your sphere of influence?
I can influence my two customers to a certain extent, by the way I frame my problem to them, and I
could also influence my company by the way I report the issue .
What authority do you have to solve the problem?
I am given the authority to make these kinds of decisions when I am travelling as I'm the person 'on
the ground' dealing with customer relations.
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Worksheet 2 – Choose a problem solving method
Describe the process steps for two problem solving methods. Add in as many steps as you need
to describe the problem solving method.
Problem solving method 1: Bransford's IDEAL MODEL
Step 1
I need to find a quiet place to think (eg my car) and Identify the problem, which is that
I need to get the spray to Farmer A but will be too late to do that if I stay with Farmer B and help him.
Step 2
Then I Define the actual problem a bit further and sort out all the information I have:
the real problem is that I want to please both farmers, show that I'm a good time manager, and please
my boss with more business. I've got all the information I need, eg appointment times, order
requirements, phone numbers etc.
Step 3
TheN I Explore and list all the possible solutions, including alternatives and try and
consider other points of view as well. Then choose the best possible solution I can by looking at the
range of them I've come up with. I can see Farmer A and B's point of view re what they expect of me
and our company. My ideas are listed below and I prioritse them from the list.
Step 4
Action the best possible solution, keeping in mind what I want to achieve.
Step 5
Look back at the choice I made and think about what worked
what didn't - maybe if I take another solution, would that have been better?.
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Problem solving method 2: Brainstorming
Step 1 Remove myself from the situation for a bit and find a quiet place to sit and think about the
problem.
Step 2 Clear my mind as much as possible - don't think about what might happen if I don't solve
the problem.
Step 3 Write down as many different possible ways of tackling the problem as possible . Even if
they sound silly, just write them down. Try and be creative and imaginative about possible
solutions.
Step 4 Prioritise the ideas in order of usefulness/whether they would work in the current situation.
Put a number beside each. Rearrange the order if necessary.
Step 5 Choose the number 1 idea and see if it works.
The problem solving method I think will best help to solve my problem is
Brainstorming
Three reasons I think this will be the best problem solving method are:
1. There are limited ways of solving my problem, so the list shouldn’t be too long.
2. I don’t need to find any more information – I just have to concentrate on a solution.
3. This suits me as a method because I’m a pretty good lateral thinker and I might just trigger a
solution that I can’t think of right away.
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Worksheet 3 –
Applying the problem solving method
1. What outcome were you trying to achieve? What outcome did you achieve?
I was trying to make sure the 20-litres of spray got to Farmer A as I had promised while still being
able to meet Farmer B’s request of my time. I wanted to please both customers and not let either
one of them down.
2. Describe each of the steps you took as you applied the problem solving method to the problem.

I explained the situation to Farmer B and said I needed 5 minutes to try and organise an
alternative for Farmer A.

I sat in my car to give myself some quiet space without distraction.

I brainstormed a list of all the possible actions I could take and then prioritised them to be least
disruptive to my customers. I changed some of them around in the order, but I came up with
these main ones:
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Ideas
Call the store – can
they courier it or is
there someone there
who can deliver it in
time?
Call the soil tester to
see if he can do the
delivery – he’s out and
about around here and
might be free just now.
Just say straight out No
I can’t stay to Farmer B
and arrange another
day to come back and
see him.
Call Farmer A and ask
if the spraying can be
delayed by one day.
Tell Farmer B that I
have to make a
delivery but I’ll come
back asap today. Hope
that he doesn’t have a
busy day.
Ask Farmer B if he’d
like to do another
delivery with me and
we’ll talk about his
stock needs in the car
on the way.
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I worked out my priorities as follows:
Number 1: Call the soil tester – they are more flexible with their days and it won’t cost the
company anything.
Number 2: Call the store – they might have someone free or have a courier available – this will
cost the company money.
Number 3: Tell Farmer B I’ll come back later today –might be ok, but I know he’s real busy at this
time and I’m not sure how long I’ll be
Number 4: Call Farmer A – this risks loss of reputation because the time was arranged.
Number 5: Ask Farmer B if I can make another time/day to discuss his plan – messy, not good PR
at this time, and I’ve encouraged him to ask for help like this
Number 6: Take Farmer B in the car with me – takes time out of his day, a bit cheeky maybe – but
could have been a good sale as he would have time to see the brochures on all our products.
Solution: I got hold of the soil tester and he was free enough that day to help me by coming
by, picking up the spray, and doing the delivery to Farmer A.
3. Overall, how successful was the problem solving method in solving the problem?
Explain your answer.
I was successful in the end. It took a couple of phone calls but I finally got hold of the soil tester.
The brain storming method worked well because if I hadn’t been able to get the first option
happening, I would have gone to the next one, then the next one. However, some of the lowerdown solutions I probably would never have gone through with.
4. Are there any further actions you can or could have taken?
No further actions required. But I did learn to give myself more time at each stop in case a farmer
wants to talk longer and possibly buy more products from us.
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Sample answers for unit standard 7123
Apply a problem solving method to a problem Version 4
Vocational pathways – Social and Community Services
Worksheet 1 - Defining the problem
Define the problem (1) – What the problem is
What is the problem? (Scenario 3)
I have to come up with some prioritised recommendations about how to spend a $500
grant on literacy projects, but the ideas I got were very different from each other, and I
need to make a clear recommendation for the Committee which best reflects the
Centre's needs or plans.
Who are the parties to the problem?
Me
The Centre Management Committee
My co-workers
Our clients - caregivers and children
The local organisation that gave us the money
What are the effects of the problem?
People took the request for ideas seriously, so I don't want to just make decisions
about what is important that might offend people or not really reflect what is best for the
Centre.
The money has to be spent within a set period so if we don't spend it this means we
have lost an opportunity and it may be difficult to get another grant in future.
We have to account for how the money is spent so anything we spend it on must link to
literacy somehow.
I need to show that I can organise and carry through this kind of task professionally.
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Define the problem (2) – Responsibilities
Who owns the problem?
I own the problem.
The Early Childhood Centre owns the problem as the grant is for the centre.
What is responsible for solving the problem?
I am responsible for solving the problem because I have to come up with the
recommendation or a prioritised list.
What is your sphere of influence?
I 'm more of a facilitator in this, to get a good result, but I can influence how the
recommendation is best made by choosing a good method to make the decision.
My co-workers and caregivers pretty much have equal influence on how the money
could be spent.
What authority do you have to solve the problem?
I have been delegated to come up with ideas but ultimately the decision about how the
money is spent will be the Management Committee's, who can veto suggestions as well
as approve them.
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Worksheet 2 – Choose a problem solving method
Describe the process steps for two problem solving methods below.

Add in as many steps as you need to describe the problem solving method.
Problem solving method 1: De bono's 6-hats
If I used this method I would call a meeting of people interested in
making the selection from the ideas I've collected. This would include
caregivers and coworkers.
Step 1
Start with the blue hat so that everyone agrees how the meeting will be
conducted, including time for each hat (maybe five minutes)
Step 2 Then use the white hat to make sure everyone understands the ideas that are up for
discussion - this is to make sure the ideas are clear, not to discuss the ideas yet.
Step 3 Then use the red hat to gete everyone's gut reaction to the best idea at the same time - limit
people's response to just chosing one idea and saying why.
Step 4 Then use the yellow hat to get some positive comments about each idea and the green hat
to explore how each idea could be developed. Then the black hat to critique the ideas.
Step 5 Use the red hat again to see if everyone's gut reaction is the same and find a solution.
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Problem solving method 2: Positives and negatives
Step 1
as I can.
For each suggestion, try to think of as many positives and negatives for each idea
Step 2
Give each positive or negative a score from 1-5 depending on how
important it is (1 being the most important)
Step 3
Find the total score for each idea.
Step 4
The idea with the highest possible score is the potential best solution to the
problem.
Step 5
The problem solving method I think will best help to solve my problem is
De Bono’s 6-hat method.
Three reasons I think this will be the best problem solving method are:
1. It involves more people than me, so there should be a more balanced exploration of all the
suggestions than just using my own thinking and knowledge.
2. It gives people a say in how money is spent, which is good for morale and community building.
3. It should ensure that we have a way of evaluating alternatives constructively, so noone’s suggestion is put down
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Worksheet 3 –
Applying the problem solving method
1. What outcome were you trying to achieve? What outcome did you achieve?
I was trying to find a way to get the best recommendation or list of recommendations to spend a
$500 grant on literacy projects –I also wanted to make sure that everyone contributed to the
decision and that there was general agreement about how the money is spent.
The outcome achieved was that everyone did contribute, the meeting was calm and productive,
and we agreed on one final recommendation to put all of the money towards staff literacy training.
2. Describe the steps you took as you applied the problem solving method to the problem.
First of all, I realised that some suggestions already went way beyond the amount the grant
covered, and the Supervisor agreed, so overall there were three possible ways we could
realistically spend the money.
I suggested to my supervisor that we present these ideas at a meeting for any interested people in
the Centre’s community, and then ask them to explore these ideas further. That way, in the long
run, people at least understand how the decision was made.
At the meeting, I suggested we use de Bono. I put six different coloured hats on the whiteboard
and explained what they mean. I then presented the three ideas as the white hat thinking. As we
went around the table I wrote up the suggestions under each of the hats, so that everyone could
see where the ideas fitted in and what gaps there might still be in our thinking. These ideas are
written up on a separate page.
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De Bono’s 6-hat problem solving method
White hat – Facts and information
Red hat – Feelings and emotions
There is $500 to spend.
Literacy is a broad area – we could buy
books, we could spend it on training for
staff, we could spend it on developing
information for parents and caregivers.
Books – we have a lot of books already and
these are cheaper to buy as we go along.
Training for staff – there has been no staff
literacy training in the last two years.
Information for parents/caregivers – this can
wait for a bit longer.
Black hat – Critical Judgement
Yellow hat – Positive
Books –$500 might only buy another 20
books maximum.
Staff training – we have an inspection
coming up and staff PD was something that
will be a feature of the inspection.
We must account for the money we spent,
books might be harder to justify for future
requests.
Books are easy to buy and easy to
distribute.
Staff training will provide an opportunity for
staff to find more ways of working together.
Information for parents and caregivers is
always welcome.
Green hat – new ideas
Blue hat – The Big Picture
Staff training would mean that we might
think differently about books we buy in
future and improve the information we share
with parents and caregivers.
Everyone has been asking for staff training
on literacy.
Providing some training should have a
lasting benefit.
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3. Overall, how successful was the problem solving method in solving the problem?
Explain your answer.
The method was successful. It gave structure to our meeting and using the six-hat method meant
that a lot of different ideas were shared, people contributed constructively to the discussion and
people listened to each other’s contributions. I felt confident with the recommendation I put
forward to the Committee – that it truly reflected the best option and also reflected the community’s
opinion, meeting, due to the method we used to decide this.
Are there any further actions you can or could have taken?
No further actions required. There was good agreement about how to spend the money, the
money was spent within the timeframe and we let the local community trust know how the money
was spent.
It also meant that we came up with lots of other ideas that we can now use to apply for other
grants.
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