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Multisolving

A man in a blue shirt carrying a basket full of green peppers.
A woman and her children are planting a tree in a field.
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We live in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. As such, the challenges we face in improving population health and well-being are fundamentally intertwined and cannot be addressed in isolation. Solving our most pressing problems requires understanding how one part of the equation affects all of the others.

Multisolving is a way of understanding and approaching this complex reality so that we can prioritize the most impactful solutions. In the simplest terms, multisolving is the practice of identifying and advocating for policies and investments that can solve multiple problems, often across sectors.



A man in a blue shirt carrying a basket full of green peppers.
A woman and her children are planting a tree in a field.
A group of people talking to each other in an office.
A homeless man with an american flag holding a sign.

The Origins of Multisolving

The term “multisolving” was originally coined by Dr. Elizabeth Sawin, co-director of Climate Interactive, after engaging in the United Nations climate talks. Dr. Sawin saw how the climate talks’ narrow focus on greenhouse gas emissions was limiting their thinking and preventing participants from seeing opportunities to address climate change in more effective ways.

Dr. Sawin introduced the idea of multisolving to demonstrate how certain investments can have positive effects not only on climate change but on other important areas of public life as well. She incorporated research on mortality rates and economic loss from climate change to show how readily the effects can cut across sectors.

For example, Dr. Sawin made the case that by burning less coal we can save lives, create jobs, and promote biodiversity, a. And that strengthening public transportation systems can increase physical activity, boost economic mobility, and improve air quality.

Through these examples and others, Dr. Sawin demonstrated how multisolving can help identify the investments that will have the greatest impact across sectors and are most likely to gain widespread support.

A man and a woman on a bus.

Creating Consensus
with Multisolving

Collaboration and cross-sector alignment are critical for solving today’s complex problems. The challenge is that different stakeholders often have different priorities.

Here lies one of the greatest strengths of the multisolving approach. Multisolving encourages stewards to present solutions in the terms that will be most meaningful to the various stakeholders whose support and collaboration may be needed.

Consider the above example about improving public transportation. Building cross-sector support for this investment is easier when you understand that:

  • Increased physical activity and improved air quality will appeal to health care specialists and other health advocates
  • Economic mobility will appeal to business and investment interests
  • Reduction in emissions will appeal to environmentalists
  • All of the above will appeal to local residents, as will reduced automobile traffic

When you view problems and solutions through the lens of multisolving, the path to creating consensus often becomes much clearer. And by highlighting the power of collaboration, multisolving encourages individuals and institutions to step out of their silos and work together toward mutually beneficial solutions.

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Avoiding the Trap of “Long-Term
vs. Short-Term” Thinking

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Two people looking at a cell phone in a greenhouse.
Three muslim women hugging each other in a living room.
A man standing in front of a white board.
A woman and her children are planting a tree in a field.
Creating system change often requires investments that have a long- term focus. This can sometimes create resistance, especially if people perceive that long- term investments come at the expense of short- term priorities.

After all, it is natural to assume that if a community invests in a long- term initiative, that money is no longer available for things the community may need or want today.

Multisolving helps us see how this need not be true. Consider again the public transportation example from above. Some of the benefits are immediate, and some have a longer time horizon. Understanding this reality helps to remove the perception that investing in tomorrow means sacrificing today.

By examining investments through the lens of multisolving, we can help build even greater support for solutions that will have the greatest impact on health and well-being for generations.

A man in a wheelchair.
Two people looking at a cell phone in a greenhouse.
Three muslim women hugging each other in a living room.
A man standing in front of a white board.
A woman and her children are planting a tree in a field.