Example: Nigeria Youth Livelihood Project
Context: builds on the Lesson 1.1 tree and prior validation. Don't copy verbatim; notice how insights became themes.
Phase 1: Insights Captured (47 total)
From 12 conversations, 47 insights were extracted. A sample:
"Transportation costs eat up 30% of potential daily wages"
[Youth Focus Group]
"Vocational graduates lack practical problem-solving skills"
[Employer Interview]
"Young women face family pressure not to travel for work"
[Women's Group]
"Previous training programs failed. No jobs resulted"
[NGO Partner]
Complete Synthesis Flow: Visual Overview
graph TB
%% Top Tier: Raw Data Input
INSIGHTS["<strong>47 INSIGHTS CAPTURED</strong><br/><br/>From 12 Stakeholder Conversations<br/>(Youth, Parents, Employers, Training Providers,<br/>Community Leaders, NGO Partners)"]
%% Middle Tier: 6 Themes from Clustering
THEMES["<strong>6 THEMES EMERGED</strong><br/><br/>Through Phases 2-3: Cluster & Theme"]
T1["<strong>Theme 1:</strong><br/>Skills-Market Disconnect<br/><br/>8 insights from 5 stakeholders"]
T2["<strong>Theme 2:</strong><br/>Geographic & Mobility Barriers<br/><br/>6 insights from 4 stakeholders"]
T3["<strong>Theme 3:</strong><br/>Gender & Family Dynamics<br/><br/>7 insights from 6 stakeholders<br/>(Surprise: HIGH)"]
T4["<strong>Theme 4:</strong><br/>Trust Deficit from Past Failures<br/><br/>9 insights from 7 stakeholders<br/>(Surprise: HIGH - not in tree!)"]
T5["<strong>Theme 5:</strong><br/>Limited Local Employment Ecosystem<br/><br/>5 insights from 3 stakeholders"]
T6["<strong>Theme 6:</strong><br/>Information & Network Gaps<br/><br/>12 insights from 6 stakeholders"]
%% Integration Process
INTEGRATION["<strong>PHASE 4: SYNTHESIS</strong><br/><br/>Map Themes to Problem Tree Elements"]
%% Bottom Tier: Four Outcomes
VALIDATED["<strong>✅ VALIDATED</strong><br/><br/>Theme 2 → Geographic isolation<br/>limits job access<br/><br/>(A) → (E)"]
REFINED["<strong>🔄 REFINED</strong><br/><br/>Theme 1 → Skills training exists<br/>but disconnected from needs<br/><br/>(A) reframed → (E)"]
ADDED["<strong>➕ ADDED NEW</strong><br/><br/>Theme 4 → Trust deficit from<br/>past program failures<br/><br/>New root cause (E)"]
EXPANDED["<strong>📊 EXPANDED</strong><br/><br/>Themes 3, 5, 6 → Gender dynamics,<br/>local ecosystem gaps, networks<br/><br/>New contextual factors (E)"]
%% Final Output
FINAL["<strong>REFINED PROBLEM TREE</strong><br/><br/>Community-Validated Analysis<br/>Ready for Theory of Change (Lesson 1.4)"]
%% Connections
INSIGHTS --> THEMES
THEMES --> T1
THEMES --> T2
THEMES --> T3
THEMES --> T4
THEMES --> T5
THEMES --> T6
T1 --> INTEGRATION
T2 --> INTEGRATION
T3 --> INTEGRATION
T4 --> INTEGRATION
T5 --> INTEGRATION
T6 --> INTEGRATION
INTEGRATION --> VALIDATED
INTEGRATION --> REFINED
INTEGRATION --> ADDED
INTEGRATION --> EXPANDED
VALIDATED --> FINAL
REFINED --> FINAL
ADDED --> FINAL
EXPANDED --> FINAL
%% Styling
style INSIGHTS fill:#E5E7EB,stroke:#6B7280,stroke-width:4px
style THEMES fill:#72B043,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:4px,color:#fff
style INTEGRATION fill:#10B981,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:4px,color:#fff
style FINAL fill:#D1FAE5,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:4px
style T1 fill:#ECFCCB,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px
style T2 fill:#ECFCCB,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px
style T3 fill:#FEF3C7,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:2px
style T4 fill:#FED7AA,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:3px
style T5 fill:#ECFCCB,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px
style T6 fill:#ECFCCB,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px
style VALIDATED fill:#D1FAE5,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:3px
style REFINED fill:#FED7AA,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:3px
style ADDED fill:#DBEAFE,stroke:#3B82F6,stroke-width:3px
style EXPANDED fill:#E0E7FF,stroke:#6366F1,stroke-width:3px
Reading the Synthesis Flow
Phase 2-3: Clustering & Theming (6 themes emerged)
1. Skills-Market Disconnect (8)
Programs disconnected from employer needs.
2. Geographic & Mobility Barriers (6)
Transport costs limit job and training access.
3. Gender & Family Dynamics (7, HIGH surprise)
Family permission and cultural norms limit participation.
4. Trust Deficit from Past Failures (9, HIGH surprise)
Failed programs created skepticism, absent from the preliminary tree.
5. Limited Local Employment Ecosystem (5)
Few employers in rural areas.
6. Information & Network Gaps (12)
Youth lack knowledge of opportunities.
Phase 4: Synthesis & Problem Tree Integration
See Integration with Problem Tree for Theme 1 becoming a refined root cause.
- Validated: Theme 2, "geographic isolation limits job access" (A→E)
- Refined: Theme 1, "limited training access" became a quality problem
- Added: Theme 4, a trust deficit absent from the original tree
- Challenged: "Youth lack motivation," unanimously rejected
Before & After Comparison
| Dimension | Before Synthesis (Lesson 1.1) | After Synthesis (Lesson 1.3) |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence Base | 40% evidence (E), 60% assumptions (A) | 85% evidence (E), 15% assumptions (A) |
| Root Causes | 4 root causes (2 validated, 2 assumed) | 6 root causes (5 evidence-based, 1 needs validation) |
| Surprising Findings | None - all confirmatory | 2 major surprises (trust deficit, gender complexity) |
| Community Voice | External researcher language | Stakeholder quotes throughout, community priorities clear |
| Intervention Strategy | Build more training centers | Reform curriculum + employer partnerships + address trust + gender-responsive design |
What This Example Teaches
What Made This Synthesis Effective
- Diverse engagement: 12 conversations across 5 stakeholder groups
- Willingness to be surprised: the team sought contradictions
- Clear traceability: every update linked to themes and quotes
- Community validation: findings shared back for verification
Ready for Theory of Change?
With your community-validated Problem Tree, you're ready for Theory of Change in Lesson 1.4.
Next Lesson: Theory of Change
Transform your refined Problem Tree into a change pathway funders can follow.