Kansas State University

Wicked Issues

Submitted by Rick Peterson

Wicked issues or problems are social or cultural problems that are complex and interconnected, making them difficult to solve. Many of the problems that our communities, families, and producers face are wicked problems that require collaborative expertise to address.

Challenges for producers and food systems include climate change, water resources, increased input costs, volatility in markets, qualified workforce, sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices to name a few.

Youth and family related issues include poverty, mental health and substance abuse, access to quality education, health and childcare services.

For communities, the pressing issues include access to affordable housing, brain drain, workforce development, broadband, infrastructure, and economic challenges. 

All of these complex challenges are multifaceted and beyond the scope of any single group or stakeholder. Responding to complex problems requires:

• Holistic, rather than partial or linear, thinking.
• Innovation and flexible approaches.
• The ability to work across disciplines.
• Effective ways to engage stakeholders in understanding the problem and possible responses.
• A comprehensive focus and/or strategy.

One way to deal with these complex, ongoing challenges is through a collaborative group of professionals from different fields who work together to address issues and develop solutions, more commonly known as a transdisciplinary team. Transdisciplinary teams can be used for education and research to broaden understanding or solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline.

Forming a transdisciplinary team should begin with:

• Identifying issues that require collaboration.
• Defining goals and what success would look like or intended outcomes.
• Building trust and rapport within the team by encouraging team members to share their perspectives.
• Facilitating communication and coordination of teams’ vision, ideas, goals, inputs and outputs.
• Supporting learning and professional development for the team.
• Clarifying team expectations and roles.
• Determining what resources and support the team will need to pursue to do the work.

K-State Research and Extension has had a history of successful transdisciplinary teams with the Stress and Resiliency Team and Local Foods Systems Team. Both have effectively identified community and programmatic needs, created educational products and programs, provided professional development and supported their work with outside funding.

Families, communities and producers are increasingly presented with wicked problems and will look to extension to assist and generate solutions though research and educational programs. The nature of wicked problems calls for interdisciplinary approaches.

KSRE is in a unique position to draw upon our expertise and that of the whole university to create interdisciplinary teams to address complex problems our citizens are facing.

In the weeks ahead, I would encourage each of you to identify wicked issues that your communities are facing. Be ready during our annual conference to share and network with your colleagues on potential interest in addressing them through the formation of new transdisciplinary teams.