Studying Wicked Problems Forty Years On: Towards a Synthesis of a Fragmented Debate

What's the Problem? Multilevel Governance and Problem‐Solving

“…Given that Rittel and Webber (1973) propose no less than ten criteria for wicked problems, the concept is too vague to be meaningfully confined to certain problems only, and difficult to operationalize empirically (Alford & Head, 2017;Peters, 2017). The answers to the question of what wicked problems are and how they should be tackled vary widely (Turnbull & Hoppe, 2018) although a recent review identifies increasing agreement between authors (Danken, Dribbisch & Lange, 2016). Turnbull and Hoppe (2018) point out that wickedness was initially introduced in order to (falsely) distinguish all social problems from science problems-thus, by definition, all policy problems are wicked (see also Newman & Head, 2017;Peters, 2017).…”

“…Given that Rittel and Webber () propose no less than ten criteria for wicked problems, the concept is too vague to be meaningfully confined to certain problems only, and difficult to operationalize empirically (Alford & Head, 2017; Peters, ). The answers to the question of what wicked problems are and how they should be tackled vary widely (Turnbull & Hoppe, ) although a recent review identifies increasing agreement between authors (Danken, Dribbisch & Lange, ).…”

“…The literature consistently suggests two remedies to manage wicked problems (Danken et al., ). First, cross‐boundary collaboration is important, with the involvement of external stakeholders, interorganizational collaboration among governmental bodies, and networked forms of governance; second, public leadership and management matter, in terms of distinct managerial skills and collaborative competences.…”

Is the deinstitutionalisation of alternative care a ‘wicked problem’? A qualitative study exploring the perceptions of child welfare practitioners and policy actors in Thailand

“…The concept has been criticised for conceptual stretch and because it is difficult to delineate and define a wicked problem. However, Danken et al (2016: 18) reviewed 106 articles that used the concept, and despite it being used across a range of disciplines there were three core properties that emerged: (1) wicked problems resist a clear solution, and they tend to become chronic; (2) the management of wicked problems involves a multitude of stakeholders with typically diverging values and interests; and finally, (3) wicked problems defy full understanding and definition of their nature and implications.…”

Can Brexit Improve Our Understanding of “Wicked Problems”? Reflections on Policy and Political Order

“…The general impression from the literature is that although there is no explicitly articulated consensus on a specific set of features that are necessary and sufficient for defining and delineating a wicked problem, a comprehensive survey of 105 articles, concludes that: “the scholarly understanding of wicked problems clusters around three inter‐related properties: (1) wicked problems resist a clear solution, and they tend to become chronic; (2) the management of wicked problems involves a multitude of stakeholders with typically diverging values and interests; and finally, (3) wicked problems defy full understanding and definition of their nature and implications.” (Danken, Dribbisch and Lange () . The convergence around these features does not mean that we can associate wicked problems with a specific set of policy issues.…”