Standards That Measure Solutions: A Guide to Solving 21st Century Problems

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How can we make the world a better place? With such an open-ended question, it's relatively easy to propose ideas, but evaluating, funding, and implementing practical solutions is an extremely difficult and complex task. Author David L. Paul, a retired computer programmer and systems analyst, proposes a standard methodology to peel away the complexity surrounding this task. This methodology creates tools to measure the world's problems and potential solutions to these problems. In his easy-to-understand approach, Paul divides the solution implementation process into distinct phases, steps and tasks that are used to calculate a grade to evaluate how "good" a solution might be at any point in the process. This grading system imbues "good ideas" with the credibility needed to attract the resources and funding needed for eventual implementation. Built on a foundation of eight concepts, this book starts by examining the nature of worldwide problems, using climate change as an illustration. Paul proposes criteria to quantify, measure, and compute a "priority level" for problems-from generating energy to producing food-to give readers insight into both a problem's urgency and its feasible solutions. Paul also demonstrates how technical innovations open new possibilities that should be examined from social, economic, and political perspectives. Systematically, Paul builds his ideas into a holistic approach to addressing questions that many may dismiss as unsolvable. Instead, Paul ultimately proposes nine broad visions to make the world a better place. From focusing on how the U.S. Congress can become more responsive to the needs of the people to proposing a new type of transportation system to make land-based travel faster and safer, Paul dives into an abstract issue and emerges with concrete solutions. Paul also describes his Phase7.org website. This crowdsourcing website creates small projects that investigate individual issues within the standard phases, steps and tasks in his methodology to create a more definitive picture of the strengths and weaknesses of a potential solution.