GII Problem Statement Guideline

A step-by-step guide for ministries and agencies under the Government Innovation Initiative

A GII Problem Statement is a precise description of a real operational challenge experienced within a ministry, agency, industry, or societal context.

It must:

Why it matters:

Ensures ministries are solving validated challenges
Enables collaboration with startups & industry
Provides clarity to technology partners
Enables delivery of MVP results in 100 days
Prevents solution-shopping and vendor bias

1. Problem-Centric

Focus on the challenge, not the systems you want to buy.

✅ How might we reduce patient wait times?

❌ We need an AI queue system.

2. Evidence-Based

Claims must be backed by proof: logs, operational data, measured inefficiencies, KPIs.

✅ 87% of applicants cited confusion (Survey, Jan 2024).

❌ People probably find the form confusing.

3. National Alignment

Must support a priority that matters at national scale, not departmental curiosity.

✅ Aligns with NAIO's objective to digitize 80% of services by 2025.

❌ No reference to national policy.

4. MVP Feasibility

Solution must be testable in ~100 days with limited dependencies.

✅ Prototype dashboard to reduce approval time by 30%.

❌ Full AI-powered national system.

5. User-Centred

Focus on impact to: staff, front-liners, citizens, patients, service recipients.

✅ Impacts 50,000 SME owners applying for permits annually.

❌ Generic statement with no user identification.

6. Measurable Outcomes

Must include numbers.

✅ Reduce application processing time from 14 days to 3 days.

❌ Improve access to services.

7. Real Ownership

There must be an Innovation Hero: a specific person who is accountable for validating success.

✅ Innovation Hero: Encik Ahmad [Policy Division Head].

❌ No clear owner assigned.

Represent as a 5-stage horizontal process:

1. Empathise

Identify users affected. Collect user pain points, testimonies, interviews.

2. Define

Verify the bottleneck. Convert pain into quantifiable issue.

3. Ideate

Brainstorm possible directions without locking into one technology.

4. Prototype

Build a simplified model of the solution in the sandbox or lab.

5. Test

Validate outcomes. Run user validation. Capture feedback. Verify results.

Section 1 Challenge Title

Provide a clear, concise title for your problem statement.

Section 2 Context & Importance

Explain the background and why this problem matters.

Section 3 One-Sentence Problem Statement (HMW format)

Write a ‘How Might We’ statement that captures the core challenge.

Section 4 Baseline (As-Is Conditions)

Describe the current situation with measurable data.

Section 5 Desired Outcomes

Define what success looks like with specific metrics.

Section 6 Constraints

List any limitations, regulations, or requirements.

Section 7 Available Enablers

Identify existing resources, tools, or data that can help.

Section 8 Innovation Opportunities

Highlight areas where new approaches could make an impact.

Section 9 KPIs

Define key performance indicators to measure progress.

Section 10 Stakeholders

List all parties involved or affected by this problem.

Section 11 Timeline

Provide expected milestones and delivery dates.

The challenge is specific
Supported by operational evidence/data
Has a measurable outcome
Not solution-biased
Includes Innovation Hero
MVP-feasible within 100 days
Requires cross-agency collaboration (if applicable)
Has clear citizen or economic impact

Submitting solution-first requests

“I want an AI chatbot”

Too broad

“Fix healthcare system communications”

No data evidence

No logs, no baseline, no numbers

No responsible owner

If no one owns it, it will die

Not MVP feasible

Requires long-term infrastructure or procurement

Vague wording

“Improve efficiency” means nothing

Title

Real-Time Land Ownership Verification System

Context & Importance

Under Malaysia’s National Agrofood Policy 2.0 (2021-2030), agricultural land registration remains manual, causing delays for smallholder farmers seeking subsidies and grants.

HMW Statement

How might we reduce land registration verification time for smallholder farmers so that they can access subsidies within 7 days instead of 21+ days?

Baseline (As-Is)

Desired Outcomes

A strong GII problem statement:

Defines a real, lived pain
Is backed by data
Has a responsible owner
Impacts citizens, staff, or systems
Has clear success metrics
Can be proven through an MVP in 100 days

Submit your challenge to GII. Selected problem statements will proceed to solution matching and MVP development.

Submit a Problem

Identity & Contact

Full Name

Phone Number

Designation

Organisation Name

Category & Subcategory

Problem Statement Content

Problem Statement TItle

Context & Importance

Problem Statement (HMW)

Baseline (As-Is) *

List current data, processes, pain points, and systems. At least one row required.

Baseline 1

Baseline 2

Baseline 3

Baseline 4

Baseline 5

Desired Outcomes (To-Be) *

Measurable targets you want to achieve. At least one row required. Examples: "Reduce ED waiting time by 40%", "Cut non-clinical delays by 20%"

Outcome 1

Outcome2

Outcome 3

Outcome 4

Outcome 5

Attachments (Optional)

Upload PDF

Declaration & Consent

I confirm that I have read and followed the GII Problem Statement Guideline. *

I confirm that the information provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge. *

I understand that participation in GII challenges is part of Malaysia's pilot innovation program, and credits will only be awarded upon validated submission. *