Creative Problem Solving Process

The Creative Problem Solving Process (CPS) was developed by Alex Osborn and Dr. Sidney J. Parnes in the 1950s. CPS is a structured method for generating solutions to problems. This method is taught annually at the International Center For Studies In Creativity and the Creative Problem Solving Institute.

Origins

CPS or the Osborn Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process was first proposed by Alex Osborne in his book Applied Imagination. It was developed and refined in the second EDition of Applied Imagination and was further refined by Osborn and Dr. Sid Parnes as described in the Creative Behavior Guidebook.*

The process

CPS has Undergone continual refinement and revision over the years and now exists in various forms. The most common of these is a six stage process, each with a divergent and a convergent phase.

• Stage 1: Objective Finding (or Mess Finding): Sensitise yourself for issues that need to be tackled.
• Stage 2: Fact Finding: Gather information AbOUT the problem.
• Stage 3: Problem Finding: convert a fuzzy statement of the problem into a broad statement more suitable for idea finding.
• Stage 4: Idea Finding: generate as many IDeaS as possible
• Stage 5: Solution finding: Generate and select obvious evaluation criteria and develop the short-listed ideas from Idea Finding as much as possible in the light of these criteria. Then choose the best of these improved ideas for further development
• Stage 6: Acceptance finding: How can the suggestion you have just selected be made up to standard and put into practice?

The acronym OFPISA is often used as a mnemonic for these steps.