Solutions to problems cannot however be proved efficient unless implemented.
Moreover, diverse obstacles may interfere with the implementation process and make it
inefficient. Consequently, planning the implementation of a solution is essential for the
successful solving of the problem. In constructing the implementation plan it is
recommended to take into consideration several factors:
- If more than one person is involved in problem solving, the tasks of must be
negotiated and decided upon. - The necessary resources for implementation must be identified and assessed
(e.g. money, information, abilities). - Possible obstacles in the way of implementation must be identified, and a
plan to overcome them must be drawn up. - For each action necessary for solution implementation a time period is set, as
well as a moment for actual execution. The established time period includes
an assessment moment on the way. - In order to ensure the efficiency of problem solving it is useful to establish
periodic moments of assessing the current stage or the progress towards the
goal.
If the problem has successfully been solved, another one can be approached. If the
problem has not been solved and it is still there, the counsellor must assist the pupil in
analysing the problem-solving plan and identifying the errors in the contents of the
previous plan. To this end, it is recommended to take up the plan in reversed order until
the identification of the inadequate sequence. At the same time, correct sequences of the
plan are established and those that need to be modified.
The first step in analysing the solving plan is verification of its implementation. The plan
may be correct, adequate to solving the problem, but implementation inappropriate. If this
hypothesis is not verified, it means sequences of the plan must be changed to make
possible the application of the selected solution.
If the plan has been adequately implemented and is correct, this means the solution
selected is not efficient, and consequently one must return to the moment of identifying a
solution and choose to solve the problem differently. In case a new solution is chosen, a
new implementation plan is necessary. If none of the originally generated solutions work,
new solutions and implementation must be generated.
If all viable solutions identified have been tried, correctly implemented, and the problem
is still unsolved, it is recommended to redefine the problem. The new definition outlines a
new problem with a higher likelihood of being solved in the respective context (people
involved, individual abilities, time and space).