Wicked Problems and Integrative Research
Decision makers concerned with health, social and environmental management are increasingly facing wicked problems: situations where the issues encountered are stubborn and complex, with many of the following features:
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Complexity and uncertainty, with many interlinked contributory factors
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Multiple scales (local, regional, national and global)
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Multiple agencies, organisations, groups and communities involved or affected
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Multiple perspectives on defining both the problem and potential solutions
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Multiple frames of reference (e.g., economic, environmental, social, cultural)
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Conflict, power relations and vested interests making change difficult
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Previous solutions have been tried with unintended consequences
The Integrative Research for Sustainability (IRfS) group has been set up to offer research support to decision makers who have to deal with wicked problems.
However, there are no silver bullets! Therefore the integrative approaches taken by the group recognise the need for research to include different agencies, policy agendas, stakeholders, communities, disciplines and evaluation measures. The IRfS group aims to provide a ‘bigger picture’ understanding, leading to the identification of sustainable solutions or management strategies.
We have a strong outcomes focus, working in partnership with decision makers to identify appropriate policies and actions. An appropriate policy or action is one that takes account of multiple interactions, perspectives, scales and time dimensions so nasty surprises can be minimised.
The IRfS Group covers three broad, interrelated areas of research:
In keeping with our recognition that wicked problems show no respect for disciplinary boundaries, we are a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in public and environmental health, systems thinking and modelling, participatory action research, sociology, environmental policy, kaupapa Māori and bicultural research, operations research, management, psychology and water science. We also work with a variety of biophysical scientists across ESR, and are able to pull in the relevant biophysical expertise when needed.