Taming the Wicked Problem

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Tanya Settles
January 30, 2026

Complexity in public administration is one thing, but a wicked problem is something altogether different. A complex problem involves many interacting parts, uncertainty and technical difficulty. These challenges are not easy, but the problem itself is generally one people can agree exists. Solutions rely on familiar toolkits such as systems analysis, project management, development of performance metrics and continuous improvement. A complex problem can be solved. While solutions may be multifaceted, they are generally linear and require investment and resources. Because the challenge is rational in nature, a shared vision for resolution is often achievable.

A wicked problem, by contrast, is not inherently evil or immoral. It is a problem that cannot be solved, at least not through traditional scientific or technical methods. Standard approaches fail because wicked problems defy conventional logic. As Rittel and Webber noted in the early 1970s, each wicked problem shares 10 defining characteristics. Many of these extend beyond public policy into public administration, creating significant challenges for leaders charged with addressing issues that resist resolution. Wicked problems are unique, cannot be solved through trial and error and every intervention is irreversible. As Rittel and Webber put it, “every trial counts”. Each failed attempt carries the risk of causing harm or creating consequences that cannot be undone.

Municipal governments regularly confront wicked problems that stretch beyond conventional policy or administrative logic and test the limits of traditional strategic planning and siloed decision-making. Houselessness, for example, reflects a web of interconnected factors including housing market pressures, economic inequality, healthcare access, labor markets, social safety nets and mental health systems. Wicked problems resist simple definition, yet public administrators must still act with the understanding that such problems are never fully “solved”.

What’s a Public Administrator to Do?

Because wicked problems lack shared agreement about both their nature and their resolution, they are often characterized by conflicting values, stakeholder disagreement and interventions that change the problem itself. Treating a wicked problem as merely complex almost always leads to failure. The result can be public frustration, staff burnout, continuous policy churn and declining trust in government. While wicked problems cannot be solved, public administrators can take steps to manage them responsibly.

Step 1: Determine whether the issue is wicked or technical. If disagreement centers on how to fix the problem, it is likely complex. If disagreement centers on what the problem actually is, it is probably wicked. When faced with a wicked problem, shift from solution-seeking to problem management.

Step 2: Prioritize inclusive and empathetic leadership over authoritarian or transactional approaches. Wicked problems are not managed through directives alone. Leaders must serve as facilitators of dialogue rather than implementers of top-down fixes.

Step 3: Embrace collaborative governance by expanding participation in problem management. Include individuals, organizations and community partners with diverse perspectives and lived experiences. Broader collaboration increases the likelihood of meaningful co-production.

Step 4: Treat problem management as an adaptive and ongoing process rather than a single decision. Adaptation signals that changing course is a hallmark of responsible governance. As Byron Williams and Eleanor Brown found, adaptive management approaches generate insight through learning. Rather than following a linear process such as Define → Decide → Implement → Declare Victory, try Frame → Try → Learn → Adjust → Repeat. Pilot projects help manage risk while allowing space for improvement.

Step 5: Redefine success and accept that it is provisional. Shift from “problem solved” to “process improved”. Success may look like reduced harm, increased responsiveness or greater legitimacy. Applying rigid technical logic to wicked problems leads to frustration because these challenges resist tidy framing and formulaic control.

The cultural shift toward adaptive problem management may be the most difficult challenge beyond the problem itself. Managing wicked problems is a leadership competency, not a failure. Adaptation requires leaders and elected officials to tolerate uncertainty, accept that failure is part of learning and protect staff engaged in good-faith experimentation. It also requires ongoing public communication that reframes change as responsible governance. While adaptive management does not promise solutions to wicked problems, it offers something more honest. When learning occurs quickly enough to prevent lasting harm, risks are managed through piloting and leadership remains attentive to competing values and experiences, public administrators can learn to tame wicked problems and operate effectively in uncertain environments.

---

Author: Tanya Settles is the CEO of Paradigm Public Affairs, LLC. Her work focuses on relationship building between local governments and communities, restorative justice and policy and program strategy and evaluation. She can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions in this column and any mistakes are hers alone.

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...