Climate Change Problem

This document discusses the concept of climate change as a wicked problem, its characteristics, and the challenges it poses. It also explores the critical stakeholders involved in climate change, highlights from ICCPM roundtable meetings, and management practices to minimize the problem. The document provides insights into the complexity of climate change and the need for collaborative solutions.

Climate Change Problem 1
Complex Project Management
Climate Change Problem
Institution Name
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Climate Change Problem 2
Introduction
Wicked problems are defined as society related challenges have no straight ways of responding
to planning and that are complex.(Hass,2009) Wicked problems are characterized by the
following:
(a) It is not easy to draw their definition
(b) wicked problem unstable in the sense of human understanding,
(c) They lack defined solution, wicked problems are overwhelmed by social complexity,
(d) They involve behavioral change, and some wicked problems are not easy to tract and are
subject to policy failure in an attempt to solve them.
(e) Addressing wicked behavior is subject to unseen consequences.
Climate Change as a wicked problem
Climate change qualifies to be referred as a wicked problem from the definition and all that
characterizes wicked problems. Climate change is global environment challenge with varying
wicked problem characteristics.
(i) Climate Change is subject to ambiguity-In many countries, those who seek to come up
with the solution to climatic changes end up creating more challenges.
(ii) Climate change being is a global problem and lacks convenience of governance. There
exists no specific government or authority in the world that can be deemed responsible to
the problem of climate change and this places Climate change among the wicked
problems.
(iii) Social complexity and ill definition of Climate Change

Climate Change Problem 3
Wicked problems are characterized by social complexity. Climate change affects the
whole world and differs to most social problems. Climate change problem will be severe
at some point and in other cases appear impossible to reverse. The impacts of climatic
change tend to worsen as years pass.
(iv) Disagreement in the solution by shareholders
Climate change is subject to intractability. Many policies on climate change have been
subject to chronic failure. Naturally, humans tend to think of the present consumption
while ignoring the probable gains in future. This behavioral aspect tends to affect many
policies. This results into ignorance by both the public and decision makers even in the
presence of substantial evidence that catastrophes may result from failure to take actions.
The public and decision makers end up making decisions that are short term and
insignificant in long run.
2.0 Critical Shareholders and how they disagree on Climate Change
There are various shareholders involved in the Climate Change problem. These are
(i) The government.
The government is key element in policy making on various issues in a country.
Climate change being a global issue draws various governments in making policies. If
these governments differ on policy making, they pose a great threat to Climate change
policies which affect the whole public.
(ii) Public- For Climatic change policies to be effected, the general public should be
involved. People differ depending on culture and other human instincts. It is therefore
hard for policies to be effected well in situations where decisions of people are subject
to unpredictability. The public is the main beneficiary of any policy in a country, in
this sense the behavior and the organization of the public spur Climate change problem
solution.
(iii) Industries
Proper agreements between the government and industries are prime in the national
policy implementation and it is necessary in speeding up evolution and technological

Climate Change Problem 4
practices necessary in effecting environmental protection policies. Organizational and
professional culture results into differences between the industries and the
government.
3.0 ICCPM roundtable highlights and their reflection in Climatic Change.
According to( Terry,2009), International Center for complex project Management held various
round table meetings on complex project management. These meetings defined a complex
problem under various characteristics. It also highlighted various issues. The round table
highlights are viewed by private and public practitioners’ to be of prime importance as far as
complex project success concerned. The following is the analysis of Climate Change based on the
round table highlights
(i) Political Risk
Politics and pressure emanating from the public causes cancellation of many
projects .In order to see success in projects, project managers and key decision makers
ought to withstand pressure and make timely and difficult decision to tame this
challenge. The Climate change problem is complex and proper and timely decisions
are necessary. Decision makers in climate change problems tend to give in to political
pressure which results into policy failure or poor decisions regarding the super wicked
global problem. Climate change decision makers should discard all forms of political
pressure in order to succeed in solving the problems.
(ii) Understanding non technical risks.
The climate change problem needs to be addressed using soft systems such as the
political factor and the external shareholders. Climate change is a global challenge
whose policies are subject to change depending on the government changes in
different countries. Technical risks should thus be addressed in the climate change
policy creation.
(iii) Stakeholders Influence and interests.

Climate Change Problem 5
The same way stakeholders have divergent views in the success of any project, the
same happens in the policy success evaluation by Climate Change stakeholders.
Increase in those involved in making of policies relating to Climate Change control
will impact the control, outcomes and the schedule of the entire policy making
process.
(iv) Existing tools and decisions processes unsuitability in uncertainty analysis.
The increasing complexity and ambiguity of Climate Change problem worldwide is a
threat considering the existence of unsuitable and ineffective tools used in the
analysis of uncertainties
(v) Lack of opportunity for engagement between the government and shareholders
Engagement between the industry and the government provides an opportunity to
address the Climate Change problem. Few governments across borders do not provide
any opportunity for discussion of key issues touching on Climate Change.
4.0 Management practice Analysis and personal reflection in minimizing the Climate
Change problem
Climate Change should not be defined as wicked problem and left to negatively
impact people with no appropriate actions towards solving it. Climate change needs
various solutions. Innovativeness, collaboration and flexibility is required to tackle
climate change. Various methods can be used to solve this problem.
(i) Engaging holistic thinking
(ii) Engaging citizens in understanding climate change problem
(iii) Developing of skills and competencies that will ensure shareholders cooperate
in the process of tackling Climate Change.
(iv) Countries should cooperate in solving the Climate Change problem.

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References
Adams, K. and Miller, J. (2000). “Achieving Strategic Infrastructure Goals for Quasi-Public
Agencies,” Construction Congress VI: Building Together for a Better Tomorrow in an
Increasingly Complex World,
Beard, J., Loulakis, M., and Wundram, E. (2001). Design-Build: Planning through Development,
McGraw-Hill Professional, ISBN-10: 0070063117.
Crichton, D. and Llewellyn-Thomas, K. (2003). “F.G. Gardiner Expressway Dismantling Project
from the Don Roadway to Leslie Street,” Bridges-Engineering Impacting Society Session, 2003
Annual Conference
Hass, K.B.(2009). Managing Complex projects: A new model, New York
Johnson, S.B.(2002). The secret of Apollo; Systems management in American and European
space programs.Baltmore ,MD :The John Hopkins University press.
May, M.E.(2007).The elegant solution: Toyota formula for mastering Innovation. New York,
NY: Free press.

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Pellerin, C.J. (2009). How NASA build teams: Mission Critical soft skills for scientists,
engineers, and project team. Hoboke, NJ: John Wiley
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