Governance Challenges in Addressing Wicked Problems

This article serves as an introduction to a special issue of the journal Public Policy and Administration, focusing on the complex relationship between wicked problems and collaborative governance. The authors argue that wicked problems are better understood as wicked actor constellations, emphasizing the disagreements among relevant actors. The article outlines four key steps in discussing this relationship: first, it presents a methodological argument for understanding wicked problems as actor constellations; second, it delves into the collaborative governance approach and its focus on wicked problems; third, it questions the feasibility of collaborative governance as a response to these challenges; and finally, it suggests that recognizing actors' positioning processes may provide a clearer understanding of policy processes. The article concludes by introducing the contributions of the special issue and discussing their implications for future research.