LISA HANAEY
Messes are large, complex, seemingly intractable situations that no one can find a way out of. The most tangled messes are called “wicked problems” because people can’t even agree on what the problem is and because the solution will almost surely entail a disruptive innovation [ 2, 9]. Collaboration is essential for resolving messes. Can our impressive array of “collaboration technologies” help those trying to solve messy problems? This is not an easy question. The messiness of the problems is usually nontechnical in origin. Lewis Perelman cites infrastructure renewal as a messy problem involving the clash of “green” and “blue” agendas [ 8]. Green represents the sustainability movement, which aims at environmental protection and resource efficiency; its main concerns include energy-neutral designs for buildings and other infrastructure. Blue repre-
sents the security movement, which aims to protect against attacks and disasters; its main concerns include critical infrastruc-
ture. The various players do not agree on the relative importance of the two perspectives. Each perspective reaches different conclusions about infrastructure renewal and best use of resources.
Can our technologies help the players to develop a larger, more encompassing perspective, a sort of “blue-green space” rather than
two opposing ends of a contin-
uum? [ 3, 8] Such technologies
might appear as major challenges.
Blue and green advocates tend to
avoid each other. When they do
make contact, their interactions
often do not go well, ending
with legal battles, such as the
one in California between
the U.S. Navy (wanting to
test new sonar systems) and
National Resources Defense
Council (wanting to protect
marine wildlife). Often the
groups form political move-
ments that try to “win” by
gathering votes and pre-
venting losers from wresting
compromises.
Recent experience at the grass roots is more optimistic. People are tired of failed public projects in parks, development, affordable housing, climate change, and infrastructure renewal. They are turning to facilitated processes that guide them to collaboration. Prominent examples include Appreciative Inquiry [ 1], Straus Method [ 10], and Charrettes [ 7].
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