Masterclass in wicked problems for policy entrepreneurs

Do you want to take on plans and policies that don't happen? Then become a policy entrepreneur at INVI's masterclass! Be taught INVI's Model for Wicked Problems. And learn how to navigate society's wicked problems with an atlas of approaches that get to the root of the problems.

As a society, we are facing wicked problems. Problems that are cross-border and intractable and rarely easy to define or solve. These include labor shortages, well-being challenges and climate change, to name but a few.

These are problems we cannot solve with rules, rights and regulation alone. Rather, they require policy entrepreneurs who dare to face the problem, work across organizations, and take a curious approach.

INVI offers the Masterclass in wicked problems for those who want a deeper understanding of the problems and new tools to tackle them (see program below).

Yields

  • An in-depth understanding of the wicked problem you're struggling with: What characterizes it and how does it challenge the methods and tools you know?

  • Tools to tackle wicked problems such as collective intelligence, mission-based approaches, modular co-creation and systemic change, and the ability to choose the optimal approach to your problem.

  • The skills to create new collaborations, alliances and relationships, so you become the enzyme that takes your problem to a new place with room for new perspectives on solutions.

  • The opportunity to work with a concrete case from your own reality in collaboration with our competent trainers.

  • A strong network of policy entrepreneurs from different sectors working on community development and wicked problems.

Target group

The Masterclass is for those who struggle with society's wicked problems on a daily basis and who need inspiration to get a grip on and tackle them in new ways. You can be a project manager, consultant, program manager or something completely different and come from the civil service in the state, regions or municipalities, a political party, an interest organization, an NGO, the foundation world or a private company.

The most important thing is that you want to tackle wicked problems by looking beyond the usual professional and organizational boundaries - and that you're open to being part of a masterclass team where you share learning, frustrations and successes.

Educators

Sigge Winther Nielsen (Masterclass manager)

Founder and director of the think tank INVI - Institute for Wicked Problems. He has previously been director of DJØF, host of Deadline, political analyst at Politiken and civil servant in the Ministry of Finance. He holds an MSc in Political Science and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Copenhagen and has been a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University in New York and the University of California, Berkeley. He is also the author of The Entrepreneurial State and most recently the anthology Wicked Problems.

Kristian Vendelbo

Managing Director of the Danish Association of Local Authorities. He has previously served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Welfare, CEO of Danish Regions and Head of Department in the Ministry of Finance. He is also Chairman of the Board of Komponent.

Kristian Weise

Deputy Director at TrygFonden. He has previously been Secretary General of Oxfam IBIS, Director of Cevea and Head of Secretariat for the Social Democrats in the European Parliament. He is also a debater with a regular economic commentary in Berlingske Tidende.

Signe Lopdrup

Managing Director of the Roskilde Festival Group and former head of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. She is also Chairman of the Board of the Rhythmic Music Conservatory and Vice Chairman of the Dreyer Foundation, and a member of the boards of the National Gallery of Denmark, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Golden Days Foundation.

Sine Egede Eskesen

Development Director at the Bikuben Foundation with overall responsibility for developing the foundation's philanthropic strategies, methods and competencies across the social and art fields. She is also a member of the board of Mind Your Own Business, BIFI A/S, Høbbet A/S and Foreningen Thoravej.

Tommy Ahlers

Entrepreneur, investor and former Minister of Education and Research. He is the former founder and CEO of a number of companies in the mobile industry. He is also chairman of the board of the think tank Concito.

Program

The course is built around three elements:

1. training is based on a curriculum developed by INVI that draws on research and practice from both Denmark and abroad.

2. Your own reality, which you are continuously asked to apply theory and methodology to. Based on this, you will write a synopsis in which you reflect on what you have learned. You present your synopsis on the last module.

3. Concrete examples of how to deal with wicked problems with presentations from the world of foundations, government and research.

  • March 5, 9am-3pm

    When faced with wicked problems, you can often lose your breath. There are many factors at play and people have different opinions. That's what makes the problem wicked.

    In order to tackle a wicked problem, it's crucial that the actors involved have a common language for the problem and understand how wicked it is, so you can start at the right place. In this module we focus on problem understanding. We also dive into the atlas of tools and how to handle uncertainty about the causes of wicked problems with collective intelligence.

    In the first module, you will be introduced to INVI's Model for Wicked Problems, developed in collaboration with practitioners and researchers at the University of Copenhagen and based on collective intelligence. The model will help you understand your wicked problem in depth, create common ground with your collaborators and choose an appropriate approach. We answer:

    • What characterizes your problem?

    • Why is it difficult to manage?

    • How does the problem challenge the methods and tools you know?

    • How can you use collective intelligence to navigate uncertainty about the causes of the problem?

  • March 26, 9am-3pm

    Where does the problem of climate change start and end, and who 'owns' the problem? Is it business, consumers, the municipalities' Technical and Environmental Administration, the government, the European Parliament, or society at large? And what about gender equality or labor shortages?

    Wicked problems often cut across sectors and levels and therefore cannot be tackled by one actor alone or with one solution. If a wicked problem is characterized by large scale, there is a need to bring together a wide range of actors who approach the problem from different angles.

    In the second module, we delve into a new corner of the atlas of tools for wicked problems. We take a closer look at mission-driven portfolio management and how you can manage scale by mobilizing stakeholders around a common mission and working across existing boundaries:

    • What is the mission for your problem?

    • Who do you need to mobilize to achieve the mission?

    • How are the many efforts managed in portfolios?

  • April 23, 9am-3pm

    Classic policy processes often follow a five-step waterfall model: Problem definition, analysis, decision, implementation and evaluation. This works well when the problem is tame, i.e. bounded, and there is an obvious solution.

    But when the problem is wicked, there is a need to be more exploratory. You need to test hypotheses, fail and learn along the way to find the right interventions.

    In the second module, we dive into the toolbox of wicked problems and take a closer look at iterative approaches and how you can show drive and humility at the same time by working with prototypes, tests and feedback loops while taking into account the political context:

    • What is an iterative approach and how do you break your work down into smaller iterations?

    • What does it require of you and your collaborators to work iteratively?

    • How do you plan an iterative process so it's politically palatable?

  • May 14, 9 am - 3 pm


    There are some problems we have known about for many years. We agree that they exist, but cannot agree on how to solve them.


    In other words, there are lines of conflict and entrenched positions that perpetuate the problem. To break the pattern, a shift in perspective is needed.


    In the fourth module, we take a final dive into the toolbox of wicked problems and take a closer look at systemic change and how you can use structures, relationships and mental models to create the conditions to move your problem to a new place:

    • What conditions does the system you're in maintain?

    • What shift in perspective can bring you and your partners together to break existing patterns?

    • What is your theory of change?

  • June 4, 9am-7pm

    In the fifth and final module, we focus even more on your everyday life. Before the module, you will have prepared a synopsis describing how you will integrate your new insights into your own practice or how you are already doing so.

    You will have the opportunity to both present your own work to the rest of the class and learn from others' experiences. You will receive constructive criticism and renewed inspiration on how to work on your problem.

    In addition to feedback from the team, you can also receive comments from a panel of three experienced policy entrepreneurs from the world of funds, government and research, as well as a special guest star.

    We think it takes 5-10 hours of preparation to create a synopsis that you can hopefully use at home in your own organization after the masterclass.

    The module ends with a social program and dinner together.

Price: DKK 22,500 excluding VAT

The price includes light breakfast and lunch during all modules, a closing dinner, a compendium and a moleskine notebook.

Discounts

  • Bring a colleague - discount
    If two or three people from the same organization (ean-location number) participate, each participant receives a discount of DKK 1,950. Contact us for a quote if more than three people from the same workplace want to sign up for the program.

  • Member of PIP discount
    If you are a member of INVI's Policy Insights Panel you get a 4000 DKK discount. Read more about the panel here.

The discounts cannot be combined. If you are eligible for multiple discounts, you will receive the largest one.

Practical information

The course starts on 5 March 2025 and ends on 4 June 2025 (see dates for the individual modules in the program above). The Masterclass will be held at INVI's premises: Snaregade 10B, 1208 Kbh K.

For questions and further information, write to masterclass facilitator Kristine Fisker at kristine@invi.nu.