Here is an example of a “desired state” Ishikawa Fish. Only the major contributing factors have been put in.
This is a diagrammatic way of looking at the effects relating to a given situation and the causes that create or contribute to those effects. Named after Dr Kaoru Ishikawa (the Japanese quality control statistician) who first used this fish-shaped diagram.
The head of the fish is the outcome desired, or “effect”. Contributing factors leading to this or “causes” are listed as boxes at the end of ribs.
Each rib can then be broken down further into the specific factors.
Once a diagram has been completed then it can be used to select areas to be tackled and their priority order, and how they can be managed. Generating a complete diagram aids the consideration of an overall development strategy.