Definition
The ITN Framework (Importance, Tractability, Neglectedness) is a heuristic for identifying the most effective problems to work on to improve the world. It was developed by Open Philanthropy and is a cornerstone of Effective Altruism and Longtermism.
Why It Matters
Altruism is often wasted on “fashionable” or “easy” problems. The ITN framework provides the cold, hard logic needed to find the “neglected” levers where your time and money can actually save the most lives or do the most good.
Core Concepts
- Importance (I): The scale of the problem. How much better would the world be if this problem were fully solved? (Closely related to the SPC Framework for longtermists).
- Tractability (T): How easy or difficult it is to make progress on the problem. What fraction of the problem can be solved with a given unit of resources?
- Neglectedness (N): How many resources (people, money, attention) are already being applied to the problem? The more neglected a problem is, the higher the marginal returns on additional effort.
- The Multiplier Effect: These factors multiply to determine the total impact of an additional person or dollar. A problem that is 10X more neglected but equally important and tractable is 10X better to work on.