Chapter 4: Finding the leverage

In previous chapters we referred to wicked or complex problems. You will recall that they are characterised by high interconnectivities and levels of interdependencies between uncertain processes. In this chapter we explore these problems further and set out the essentials of the systems approach to tackling them.

How familiar do the following feel to you (Rittel and Webber, 1973)?

The infrastructure industry is full of these kinds of problems (Box 4.1).

The success targets for this chapter are that, after reading it and thinking about it, you will:

For problems of this type there are so many interacting features that the total effect of a change in one feature cannot really be fully appreciated until the solution has been developed and tested in practice (Box 4.2).