How to better solve complex issues with co-creation
In this blog, I want to zoom into what complex issues are and compare them to other types of problems. The essence of complex issues also is such, that in order to solve them, you need a systemic or co-creative approach.
This blog was inspired by the book ‘Hoe richt je een zwerm?’ (How do you aim a swarm?) published by Van Duuren Management in 2016, by my much-appreciated colleagues Eric Spaans, Gemma van der Ploeg and Rolf Rensink of KaapZ.
What is a complex issue?
A major city finds herself with a great number of high school dropouts. In order to direct these young people towards a job, many actors are at work: alternative education systems are being set up within the adult education system of the city. The federal government also develops a number of training programs in close relation with employers. Social workers are working with the families and try to break the vicious circle of low education within disadvantaged families. Integration officers are trying to find solutions for the backlog in education teenagers entering the country suffer when entering local schools. Local employers set up training programs within their companies. The ministry of education is thinking about prevention. All of these actors act from their own perspectives, desires, and experiences. The question is if the high school dropout gets the best help possible. To make things even more complex, everything changes constantly, also the issue itself.
I very much liked the metaphor used by my colleagues of KaapZ. Watching the actors solving a complex issue is like watching a football game played on a six-sided field, the position of the lines on the fields alters, the teams change constantly, de goals change position and size all the time, the referees bother each other and take un-comprehensive decisions. The spectators yell, run onto the field, play along for some time and decide to leave again. In other words, a terrible cacophony.
In the example of the issue of the high school dropouts (and in the metaphorical football game), there is no clear link between cause and effect and that’s what makes it this particular issue a complex one.
Four types of issues
In order to make it more clear what complexity is, it is interesting to look at Dave Snowden’s Cynefin framework:
In the simple problem, there is order and the causal relationships between cause and effect are obvious. Almost anyone can use them to make a forecast. A straightforward analysis leads a person to a solution, which in itself is easy to repeat. The process to find the solution is to sense, categorize and respond.
In a complicated issue, order is also apparent, but the relationships between cause and effect are more complicated. Cause and effect may be separated in time and space. Research may be needed to fully understand the relationship. To solve a complicated issue, we might need a team of specialists (for instance, building a bridge over a large stretch of water). Here you need to sense, analyze and respond.
In the chaotic and complex issues, order is not apparent.
In a chaotic issue, there is no relationship between cause and effect. It’s impossible to predict what will happen and even after the event, it might be difficult to fully explain what happened. Un such cases acting swiftly is often the way to go (for instance, the financial crisis in 2008). The process is act, sense and respond.
In the complex issue, we can’t understand cause-effect relationships in advance, but as we see events unfold, we can understand how they came about. In such issues, the cause and effect relationships do not repeat and they are unpredictable. The process is to probe, sense and respond.
Probe-sense-respond
In complex issues, Snowden advides to 'probe, sense and respond'. but what does that mean? Let’s turn back to issue about the high school dropouts. It clearly is a complex issue. Even though we can come up with some relationships between cause and effect, we cannot fully understand how so many people end up dropping out of school. Also, there is no ‘one best solution’ for the issue. The solution will lie in bringing the different stakeholders together and having them probe to each other’s needs and worries. In strengthening the relationships between people who all act in the complexity of this issue, we might find solutions which fit the current situation. When stakeholders share information, they discover how the different elements in the issue are interwoven, creating space for new solutions to emerge from the group, for trial and error, and learning.
In setting up a co-creative process ‘the six principles of co-creation’ can be of use:
Get the whole system in the room
Explore the whole elephant
Control what you can and let go of what you cannot control
Let people be responsible
Search for common ground
Use differences of opinion to find fresh and new ideas
They are described in detail in my book ‘Co-creation, 13 myths debunked’. To order a copy, just send me an email at Lesley.Vanleke@Vanlekeadvies.be or call me +32 478 51 96 66
Take a look at this webinar, Dutch spoken, 51 minutes.