Wicked Problems Defined

Wicked problems are those that don't have a single right answer, and are typically associated with "social" situations. Wicked problems combined with complex social situation can lead to other issues that need to be used in parallel with InnovationWorks, but here we concentrate on wicked problems.

With the exception of exam questions many of today's projects involve some degree "wickedness". To know what we mean by "wickedness" then we should look at how Horst Rittel defined "wicked problems". Rittel defined wicked problems as having all or some of the properties:


  • You don't (fully?) understand the problem until you've developed a solution
  • There is no stopping rule (there's always a better solution if you unlimited resources)
  • There is no right or wrong answer
  • Wicked problems are unique and novel (they may appear the same but small changes make everything different, like every project)
  • Solutions to wicked problems are one-shot; the solution redefines the problem
  • There are no given alternatives; solution A does not automatically define the alternative solution B.

Wicked problems combined with a complex social situation can lead to fragmentation. More often than not the fragmentation has occurred and we aren't even aware that a wicked problem is at the heart of it.

Addressing wicked problems, and countering fragmentation, needs group tools. The tool originally developed by Rittel is Issue-Based Information System (IBIS) method called Dialog Mapping. Pandora Consulting uses InnovationWorks to integrate Dialog Mapping in to the overall project structure.

Project Alignment

Much has been written about getting project teams aligned. What this has been inadvertently admitting is - most projects contain complex social elements of a wicked problem.

Design Breakdown Structure

Much is usually made of aligning projects with the business strategy. What is needed early in the project to achieve this alignment is a Dialog Map created by the organisation's management team and the project team. The most important outcome of this is the project team will be able to understanding their (sub)decisions in the context of the organisation's strategy needs.