# Wicked Problems **Date: Thursday, May 06, 2021 21:01** ## Note - How do you define a wicked problem? - Where there are risks for taking any available decision? - Where there are downsides for taking any available decision? - Where a decision must be taken? Developed by professor Horst Rittel: > the term ‘wicked problem’ refers to that class of social system problems which are ill-formulated, where the 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. The adjective ‘wicked’ is supposed to describe the mischievous and even evil quality of these problems, where proposed ‘solutions’ often turn out to be worse than the symptoms. (Churchman [1967](https://www-tandfonline-com.salford.idm.oclc.org/reader/content/17b818d0653/10.1080/13504509.2020.1859415/format/epub/EPUB/xhtml/index.xhtml#cit0018)) The opposite is 'tame problems' that are well defined and can be addressed later. The concept made rise to complexity theories (which focus on the systems and the interactions with them). ([Peters, 2017](x-devonthink-item://86A8F831-6569-4488-8A17-3C0497B8AF6D)) - relationships along the variables are not linear - small shifts in conditions may produce large outcomes in systems dynamics - Subject to external forces ## Link [PPT that discusses some of this](x-devonthink-item://F18B8D0A-4C7F-4CDD-B814-684EB99DC1B5)