It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that the Secretariat of Ravenshaw University Model United Nations 2015 is organizing the second edition of the conference from 3^rd to 5^th of July, 2015 at the colossal Seven Pillars of Wisdom Convention Centre in Ravenshaw University, Cuttack. As the convener of Ravenshaw University Model United Nations 2015, I wholeheartedly extend an invitation to all of you to grace the three day conference.

It is a well-known concept that Change is the most prominent characteristic of a progressive society. Change without people's urge to surge, is impossible. Ravenshaw University recognized this need to motivate the youth to foster the fragile idea of change by marshalling the Annual Model United Nations Conference in year of 2014. Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations wherein students from various institutions from around the globe role play as diplomats (Foreign Ambassadors of various countries) to deliberate on agenda that delve deep into several issues which plague humanity and determinedly strive to come up with innovative solutions of substantial political implications in the field of international affairs and polity.

This year Ravenshaw University is going to host the Model United Nations conference from 3rd-5th July with youth delegates coming down from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and many more nations. The conference is slated to be the first of its kind apotheosis of the best of national and international young minds in the state of Odisha. This edition has been structured with four committees, namely, UN General Assembly (Emergency Special Session), World Millennium Summit, UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council which will expose the young change makers from Odisha to develop their debating prowess, logical reasoning, diplomacy and social skills by exchanging a kaleidoscopic array of multicultural values and worldly ideas and perceptions. The Second Edition of Ravenshaw University Model United Nations is going to be organized in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan which in itself is a testimony of the grandeur of the conference.

Since this conference is the genesis of a new intellectual ethos in Odisha, it cannot accomplish its purpose without the presence of the inventive intelligentsia of the state. It is only when the leaders of the current generation disseminate their knowledge, share their collective experiences and inculcate new perspectives about the world in the young unmoulded cognizance that we shall give to the world a new breed of leaders who will be refined images of their predecessors. It is, therefore, my utmost pleasure to invite you to grace the occasion as our guest and resource person and enlighten our attending delegates with the ideas of prodigious socio-politico changes in their cultural contexts so that they can take the reins of change into their hands.

For details visit: www.rumun.in

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/ravenshawuniversitymun

Warm Regards,

Dr. Sanjay Kumar Satapathy

Dean of Students’ Welfare
Ravenshaw University
and
Convenor
Ravenshaw University Model UN Conference 2015

Cause and Effect Analysis

Identifying the Likely Causes of Problems

About the Tool

Cause and Effect Analysis was devised by professor Kaoru Ishikawa, a pioneer of quality management, in the 1960s. The technique was then published in his 1990 book, "Introduction to Quality Control."

The diagrams that you create with are known as Ishikawa Diagrams or Fishbone Diagrams (because a completed diagram can look like the skeleton of a fish).

Although it was originally developed as a quality control tool, you can use the technique just as well in other ways. For instance, you can use it to:

Discover the root cause of a problem.
Uncover bottlenecks in your processes.
Identify where and why a process isn't working.

Step 1: Identify the Problem

First, write down the exact problem you face. Where appropriate, identify who is involved, what the problem is, and when and where it occurs.

Then, write the problem in a box on the left-hand side of a large sheet of paper, and draw a line across the paper horizontally from the box. This arrangement, looking like the head and spine of a fish, gives you space to develop ideas.

Example:

In this simple example, a manager is having problems with an uncooperative branch office.

Figure 1 – Cause and Effect Analysis Example Step 1

(Click image to view full size.)

Tip 1:

Some people prefer to write the problem on the right-hand side of the piece of paper, and develop ideas in the space to the left. Use whichever approach you feel most comfortable with.

Tip 2:

It's important to define your problem correctly. CATWOE can help you do this – this asks you to look at the problem from the perspective of Customers, Actors in the process, the Transformation process, the overall World view, the process Owner, and Environmental constraints.

By considering all of these, you can develop a comprehensive understanding of the problem.

Step 2: Work Out the Major Factors Involved

Next, identify the factors that may be part of the problem. These may be systems, equipment, materials, external forces, people involved with the problem, and so on.

Try to draw out as many of these as possible. As a starting point, you can use models such as the McKinsey 7S Framework (which offers you Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared values, Skills, Style and Staff as factors that you can consider) or the4Ps of Marketing (which offers Product, Place, Price, and Promotion as possible factors).

Brainstorm any other factors that may affect the situation.

Then draw a line off the "spine" of the diagram for each factor, and label each line.

Example:

The manager identifies the following factors, and adds these to his diagram:

Site.
Task.
People.
Equipment.
Control.

Figure 2 – Cause and Effect Analysis Example Step 2

(Click image to view full size.)

Step 3: Identify Possible Causes

Now, for each of the factors you considered in step 2, brainstorm possible causes of the problem that may be related to the factor.

Show these possible causes as shorter lines coming off the "bones" of the diagram. Where a cause is large or complex, then it may be best to break it down into sub-causes. Show these as lines coming off each cause line.

Example:

For each of the factors he identified in step 2, the manager brainstorms possible causes of the problem, and adds these to his diagram, as shown in figure 3.

Figure 3 – Cause and Effect Analysis Example Step 3

(Click image to view full size.)

Step 4: Analyze Your Diagram

By this stage you should have a diagram showing all of the possible causes of the problem that you can think of.

Depending on the complexity and importance of the problem, you can now investigate the most likely causes further. This may involve setting up investigations, carrying out surveys, and so on. These will be designed to test which of these possible causes is actually contributing to the problem.

Example:

The manager has now finished his analysis. If he hadn't looked at the problem this way, he might have dealt with it by assuming that people in the branch office were "being difficult."

Instead he thinks that the best approach is to arrange a meeting with the Branch Manager. This would allow him to brief the manager fully on the new strategy, and talk through any problems that she may be experiencing.

Tip:

A useful way to use this technique with a team is to write all of the possible causes of the problem down on sticky notes. You can then group similar ones together on the diagram.

This approach is sometimes called CEDAC (Cause and Effect Diagram with Additional Cards) and was developed by Dr. Ryuji Fukuda, a Japanese expert on continuous improvement.

Key Points

Professor Kaoru Ishikawa created Cause and Effect Analysis in the 1960s. The technique uses a diagram-based approach for thinking through all of the possible causes of a problem. This helps you to carry out a thorough analysis of the situation.

There are four steps to using the tool.