Solving ILL‐structured Sociotechnical Problems

Abstract

Sociotechnical problems are those in which social value considerations are of comparable importance to the technical aspects of the problem. The solution procedure for an ill‐structured sociotechnical problem differs significantly from the problem‐solving process for well‐structured technical problems. The solution procedures for the two problem‐solving processes are compared. Ill‐structured problem‐solving requires three steps that are not part of well‐structured problem‐solving; the steps are stakeholder identification, assumption generation, and argumentation analysis. The ill‐structured problem‐solving process is applied to the problem of developing a stormwater management policy, with emphasis placed on the mechanism of performing the steps of stakeholder identification, assumption generation, and argumentation analysis. Stormwater management policies based on the ill‐structured problem‐solving process would be quite different and more effective than policies based on the well‐structured problem‐solving process.