Trends and issues in the study of wicked problems

More than four decades ago, Rittel and Webber asserted that conventional approaches to scientific analysis and rational planning were inadequate for guiding practitioners and researchers tackling complex and contested, or... [ view full abstract ]

More than four decades ago, Rittel and Webber asserted that conventional approaches to scientific analysis and rational planning were inadequate for guiding practitioners and researchers tackling complex and contested, or ‘wicked’, social problems (Rittel and Webber, 1973). Policy analysts, academic researchers and planning practitioners grappled with the claim that conventional scientific-technical approaches might be inappropriate for understanding and responding to complex social issues. This perspective continues to challenge modern notions of evidence-based policymaking, policy evaluation, and performance-based public management.

The wicked problems literature generally contends that special methods are needed for addressing highly contested arenas of policy and planning. This is because the plurality of views about the problems and solutions are anchored in differing values and perceptions, which cannot be adjudicated and settled by positivist science, but require inclusive processes of argumentation and conflict resolution among stakeholders. However, there are strong arguments for attempting to mainstream wicked problem analysis by linking these policy challenges more clearly to the current policy literature on public policy problem framing, policy design and implementation, and the contextual literature on coping with crises, complexity and conflict.