Conclusions on Collaborative Governance and Solving Complex Public Problems

Abstract

The world is constantly changing, and so is the public sector’s response to complex problems. Public complexities’ emergent and somewhat cataclysmic nature renders some traditions, bureaucratic mechanisms, theories, frameworks, and conventions ineffective. The solutions for proactive and comprehensive response thereby lie on reimagined approaches with cross-sector stakeholders’ representation and participation as a viable strategy to help generate relevant outputs and outcomes with sustainable impacts for societal benefits. The regular and somewhat rapid occurrence nature of public complexities nowadays leaves no room for errors or experimentation as doing so would be irresponsible or outright criminal; hence collaborative governance, among other emergent robust approaches, presents hope for constructive public service solutions and actions for the health and general wellbeing of the population. The intent is not to suggest that collaborative governance and related approaches are not fallible, but the focus on inclusion and intersectionality is promising and worth utilizing. This chapter summarizes the book’s conceptual and practical rudiments to reiterate the telos for promoting knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon relative to collaborative governance in this contemporary era as one of the viable approaches to help regimes tackle the growing and somewhat debilitating complex public problems.