Building Back Better after COVID-19: a systematic scoping review of wicked problems affecting developed countries and implications for global governance

  1. Robin van Kessel
  2. Brian Li Han Wong

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is a textbook example of a ‘wicked problem’, one which is complex, open-ended, unpredictable, or intractable and seems resistant to any solution. This presents a window of opportunity to explore other wicked problems and their implications after the pandemic. A systematic scoping review was conducted to investigate the COVID-19 aftermath and identify public health topics which may be of great significance in the years to come. Through the adoption of three megadrivers as fundamental drivers of change (globalisation, demographic change, and digitalisation), it narratively explored how different wicked problems – and the driving mechanisms which sustain them – persist. It further explored the implications of these public health topics on global (health) governance. While the wicked problems mapped in this article show a large variance in where their apparent roots lie, they share one factor in common: health. These wicked problems must be first and foremost addressed if we as a globalised world are to successfully and sustainably build back better from COVID-19.

Summary Box

What is already known?

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    COVID-19 is a textbook example of a wicked problem; a problem that is complex, open-ended, unpredictable, or intractable and seems resistant to any solution;

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    Digitalisation, globalisation, and demographic change are seen as the three megadrivers of change and are theorised to create and sustain modern wicked problems;

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    The megadrivers respectively have complex relationships with health; this includes both positive and negative associations.

    • What are the new findings?

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    A series of wicked problems exist in multiple domains of society that continue to obstruct the progress of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

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    These wicked problems each have roots in the three megadrivers: digitalisation, globalisation, and demographic change;

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    There exists a complex interrelation between the megadrivers, wicked problems, and health.

    • What do the new findings imply?

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    It currently remains unclear to what extent wicked problems and megadrivers respectively affect health outcomes; therefore, further research is indicated;

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    A ‘once in a generation’ opportunity has presented itself to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic by addressing the existing wicked problems; therefore, governance mechanisms should follow and adapt accordingly;

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    Wicked problems have bidirectional implications for modern policy; this has created an environment for wicked problems to manifest and sustain themselves, which in turn produce further policies that sustain wicked problems.

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    1. ScreenIT

      SciScore for 10.1101/2021.04.26.21256126: (What is this?)

      Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

      Table 1: Rigor

      NIH rigor criteria are not applicable to paper type.

      Table 2: Resources

      No key resources detected.

      Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

      Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:
      There are some limitations that have to be considered. Firstly, the data provided in this article is meant to incentivise further and deeper analysis and the results should be interpreted as such. Even though we used a clear and transparent methodology to produce the findings, the lack of quality assessment and systematic synthesis limit the use of this article beyond sensitising, scoping, informing, and incentivising. Secondly, some wicked problems may not yet be classified as such in modern literature. As such, these problems are not covered by this article. In order for the opportunities presented by digitalisation and digital transformations to be maximized (see also Holly, Wong, et al., 2021; forthcoming), policymakers and other stakeholders must invest in: improving access to digital platforms, affordable broadband, and appropriate devices; the inclusion of vulnerable populations (in particular youth [aged 15-24; {40}], who are often the driving force behind digital uptake and advancement); building and improving digital capacity (e.g. skills and literacy), not only among professionals and stakeholders, but across the population [42]; and (re)building public trust in the digital world and information systems after the devastating utilisation during the COVID-19 pandemic (also with regards to the future developments of AI and the prominent role it is likely going to play in society). With regards to globalisation, stakeholders and change agents should consider a new soci...

      Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

      Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

      Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

      Results from rtransparent:
      • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
      • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
      • No protocol registration statement was detected.

      Results from scite Reference Check: We found no unreliable references.

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    2. Version published to 10.1101/2021.04.26.21256126v1 on medRxiv