Quarterly Journal of Governance Knowledge

Quarterly Journal of Governance Knowledge

Dealing with wicked problems in public policy. Political Approaches, Strategies and Methods

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Phd in Public Policy. University of Tehran
2 Phd in public policy. University of Tehran
3 PhD in Politics. Mofid university
4 Ph.D in Cultural Policy, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The concept of wicked problems in public policy is not well-known in Iran, and little research has been done on how to tackle these issues. Conventional methods have proven ineffective in dealing with wicked problems, and many efforts to resolve them have failed. Since the concept of wicked problems was coined, many approaches, strategies, and methods have been introduced to address them. This article aims to explore and introduce political approaches, strategies, and methods for managing wicked problems and their governability. This study employs a narrative review methodology. Two major approaches are commonly used to address wicked problems in public policy: political and managerial. These approaches can employ strategies such as solving, taming, or coping with wicked problems. Instrumental collaborative governance, avoidance, denial, and non-decisions are used to solve wicked policy problems. Instead, problem restructuring and reframing are best for taming these problems. Along with solving and taming, coping strategies such as transformative collaborative governance, mitigation, and behavioral policies are useful for addressing wicked problems. The key to addressing these problems lies in understanding their specific features and characteristics, and how these align with the institutional conditions necessary to implement effective strategies. Therefore, before attempting to address wicked problems, it is crucial to assess the problem’s nature, context, and available strategies
Keywords
Subjects