TOOL NO 3: HRBA CAUSALITY ANALYSIS: IMMEDIATE, UNDERLYING AND ROOT CAUSES The UN Common Learning Package on the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) has developed a causality analysis process. To make a development intervention produce sustainable results, activities need to address the root causes of discrimination and inequalities. To ensure this, an analysis needs to be undertaken that maps the immediate, underlying and structural/root causes to the problem as well as the relationships between these levels. Using this tool: HRBA causality analysis aims at highlighting the underlying causes to non-fulfilled rights and development challenges. It analyzes not only the immediate causes for a situation but also the underlying and structural causes of social exclusion, poverty, discrimination or any other condition related to non-fulfillment of human rights. This tool can be useful for determining root causes of the marginalisation of minority groups. The findings can feed into the CCA, UNDAF outcomes and CPD responses. Objectives:     Map the immediate, underlying and structural causes of unfulfilled human rights, such as discrimination, poverty and social exclusion. Form a base for a holistic, inter-disciplinary response to the development problems; by tackling the root causes of the problem more sustainable results can be achieved. Break down problems to manageable and definable components. Identify issues and arguments, and help establish who and what the political actors and processes are at each stage;  Help to establish whether further information, evidence or resources are needed to make a strong case, or build a convincing solution. The Problem Tree/Objectives Tree is an exercise to facilitate causal analysis. By undertaking the exercise, relations between immediate, underlying and structural causes are identified. The tool can also be used in a participatory manner to conduct causality analysis giving it the added value of building a shared sense of understanding, purpose and action. Discuss and agree on a local development challenge to be analysed. The problem or issue is written in the centre of the flip chart and becomes the ‘trunk’ of the tree. This becomes the ‘focal problem’. Do not worry if it seems like a broad topic. The problem tree will help break it down. The wording does not need to be exact as the roots and branches will further define it. However, ensure to describe an actual issue that participants prioritize. The group identifies the causes of the development challenge - these become the roots. Then identify the consequences, which become the branches. These causes and consequences can be created on post-it notes or cards, perhaps individually or in pairs, so that they can be arranged in a cause-and-effect logic. Some cards may also turn out to be overall constraints (move to the side of the core problem). Try to find all cause and effect relations and move the cards accordingly. There can be more causes to one effect or more effects to one cause. The problems identified can easily be ‘inverted’ in an objectives tree. Taking the problem tree as your base, reformulate the problems positively in order to turn them into objectives. This process then leads into an “objectives tree” with the central objective simply being the inverse of the central problem. Ask participants then to look at these objectives, discuss which of these can be tackled by the project, and set priorities. Breaking men and women into different groups is recommended. Chapter 8: Situation Analysis Tools 125