ISSN 2348-1218 (print) International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations ISSN 2348-1226 (online) Vol. 9, Issue 4, pp: (42-49), Month: October - December 2021, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
Wicked Problems and Crisis: Policy Areas of Climate Change and Poverty Mohamed O. Hagi Mohamoud PhD Researcher
Abstract: This paper endeavours to critically examine the different ways in which policymakers can effectively tackle wicked problems. It explains the best possible strategies when resolving policy crisis – stating the nature, scope and meaning of crisis. The piece demonstrates the characteristics of wicked problems and crisis. It profoundly presents the complexity of crisis and such problems by referring the policy areas of climate change and poverty. The objective of the paper is to suggests that wicked problems and crisis have no quick fix as stakeholders have different understanding of the problem definition as well as its solutions. Therefore, to tackle such a problem and crisis in which its causes and effects are unknown – policymakers need to effectively address the nature of the problems. By doing so policymakers need to engage different stakeholders on a long-term focus, which is outside of the box thinking. Keywords: Wicked Problems, Crisis, Stakeholders, Policymaking, Problem-Solving, Climate Change, Poverty.
1. INTRODUCTION If there is no definitive statement of a problem, it is difficult, and sometimes it may be impossible to deal with that problem. Because, it is incomplete, the requirements are changing frequently, and the problem itself is contradictory – such a problem and its changing requirements are often arduous to recognise – this is called a wicked problem. As some scholars argue, the use of the term „wicked‟ here has come to the resistance to resolution rather than evil (Head and Alford, 2015). Wicked problems are complex and interdependent problems, hence to solve one aspect of the problem may create new one or reveal unexpected problems. The nature of the problems is extremely difficult to control, solve or manage. As per the fact that it is likely to change suddenly (Churchman, 1967; Rittel and Webber, 1973). Yet, it does not have planned ending, therefore it may develop, or inter into an open-ended discussion if not carefully addressed (Head and Alford, 2015). Therefore, the paper attempts to critically discuss the different ways that policymakers can effectively address, or tackle the nature of complexity. It addresses how policy crisis are resolved and addressed by policymakers – by defining and elaborating the crisis management theory practice (Lagadec, 2009). It argues that policy problems are difficult to understand, or find an answer, because of the involvement of having different but relating parts (Radford 1977; Rittel and Webber 1973; Mason and Mitroff 1981, cited in Bueren, et.al. 2003). Therefore, to address such a problem in which its causes and effects are unknown – there is a need to engage different stakeholders and a long-term focus, which is outside of the box thinking (Bueren, et.al, 2003). Since it has numerous interrelated – arduous nature and characteristics that make impossible to easily recognise its casual relations.
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF WICKED PROBLEMS The phrase „‟wicked problems‟‟ was firstly used in social planning, however its modern sense was introduced in 1967 by C. West Churchman and published in the Journal Management Science. Churchman responded the previous use of the term by Professor Horse Rittle of the University of California Architecture Department (Roberts, 2000). As documented by Churchman, Professor Rittel identified his distinctive definition as such “class of social system problems which are illformulated, where the [available] information is confusing, where there are many clients and decision makers with conflicting values, and where the ramifications in the whole system are thoroughly confusing. . . [such that] proposed „solutions‟ often turn out to be worse than the symptoms” (Churchman, 1967, p. B-141). Moreover, according to the
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