“Hello darkness, my old friend.”

Disturbed recently re-released The Sound of Silence, and hearing it reminded me of the intensive two days I just had in the Future Governance course.

“Prof, I would like to ask… What if a country launched a program that seems obvious but ends up making the middle class suffer even more?”

This question popped into my head: what happens when policymakers make the wrong decisions?

Then came a discussion about Wicked Problems. It turns out, it’s not just personal matters that are complicated—wicked problems also affect entire countries. Often, we wonder, “How can the government make such a confusing program?” But after learning about wicked problems, I now try to see both sides without jumping to conclusions. The housing crisis, for example, is one wicked problem that urgently needs solving.

Rittel and Webber, in Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning (1972), describe wicked problems as issues that create new problems when solutions are applied.

In this intensive week, we discussed housing issues in UK, which reminded me of Indonesia’s Tapera program. Tapera (People’s Housing Savings) requires participants to contribute savings that can later be used for housing. Given Indonesia’s low wages and corruption, many—including myself—are skeptical about this program. For the middle class, another cut to an already tight salary is hard to accept.

Rather than delve into Tapera itself, I want to highlight how it fits into the concept of wicked problems.

Why is this problem wicked?

• Many Stakeholders: Different groups have conflicting needs. Low-income workers want affordable housing, while developers focus on profits.
• Widespread Social and Economic Impacts: Housing inequality or program failures could worsen overall inequality.
• Limited Resources: Material and financial resources are scarce, and corruption and bureaucracy complicate things further.
• Long-term Uncertainty: Questions about Tapera’s sustainability persist, especially with potential political changes.
• Public Resistance: Many workers view Tapera as an additional burden, with no immediate benefits.

No public policy can satisfy everyone, but siloed data—policies that focus on narrow agendas without strong data—can lead to poor outcomes. For instance, this link illustrates how government programs can lack reason.

Hmmm.. earlier i said seeing from the two sides, right? i’m so sorry because i still processing the benefit aspect—which is nowhere to find (for now, i’m begging). Opening Indonesia’s open data site was another disappointment. Its inefficiency shows why governments need to embrace open data and open government. Wicked problems don’t have clear right or wrong solutions—only good or bad ones. Hopefully, future policies will be built on stronger data, so citizens can feel more confident and less skeptical.

Reference:

Horst and Webber, M.M. (1972). Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning.

Starting the week with a reading list can be challenging for someone like me who doesn’t enjoy reading. But I’ve realized how interconnected everything is. Every morning, my phone is right there—whether I’m tweeting, scrolling Instagram, or replying to my boss. And guess what? It all shapes my political views and influences policy formation. Politics is no longer just about people in suits making decisions behind closed doors.

From “The Tools of Government in the Information Age”, we’re witnessing a transformation. And the punchline? It’s Us! Everyday citizens and netizens play a bigger role, whether inside or outside organizations.

The article explores the tools of government, focusing on the impact of the Information Age on conventional governance. Three conventional tools are explained: government tools as institutions, politics driving tool selection, and a generic catalog of tools. While Salomon argues that government tools are seen as organizations central to the new governance, these three classifications don’t cover all the possible ways of understanding state instrumentalities. Still, it explains its focus well. In the broader reading, I believe that future governance will be driven by three main factors:

1. Technology and Data: Both are seen as very essential tools, formulating more responsive and accurate policy. AI helps analyze economic trends in my workplace, showing how technology supports decision-making.
2. Policy: As IT becomes more integrated, policies must evolve. Governance should be evaluated at every stage. Data security, especially with rising ransomware attacks, is crucial.
3. Communication: Although not explicitly discussed, several parts of the article highlight the importance of public communication, especially in terms of openness and transparency. In Indonesia, “Netizens” play a big role in shaping policy, though the result isn’t always in their side. I think media will continue to shape public perceptions, and innovation in communication will be key.

These readings helped me understand key challenges for future governance:

1. IT tools in policy-making: Managing internal data within institutions remains a challenge despite IT’s importance.
2. Continuous evaluation: While ideal, it’s hard to implement with short decision-making deadlines. Older generations believed IT could solve everything, but that’s not always the case – “hyper-modernist”.
3. Business process: As IT supports the organization, it’s essential for the government to review business flow for better efficiency. This technology will decentralize power and control, especially in non-hierarchical societies.

The article gave a clear view of how technology fosters more responsive policies and offered additional insights: (i) Good leadership: Effective planning leads to better governance, improving productivity, and ensuring well-organized processes and (ii) Change management: Transitioning to IT requires effective change management to bridge generational gaps.

Although the articles aren’t recent, it provides a clear view of earlier hopes for governance in the digital age. Some scholars stated that IT changes the governance structure, but others believe that this is only a reflection of previous things without revolutionizing them. The world is evolving, though IT development in my country is still “stuck” in governance. I believe each region adapts differently, but governance is about “fairness”, thus every country should strive for the same progress.

Reading Source:

Hood, Christopher, The Tools of Government in the Information Age’, in Robert Goodin, Michael Moran, and Martin Rein (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy (2008; online edn, Oxford Academic, 2 Sept. 2009)

I’m Nadia, a girl from Indonesia, and this is my first time studying abroad for an extended period. With a background in industrial engineering, many people might wonder, “Why choose governance for my master’s and why the University of Edinburgh?” Well, this year marks my 4th year working at Bank Indonesia, and it’s my 3rd year in the Department of Strategic Management and Governance. Hopefully, that explains why I chose governance for my PGT. As for Edinburgh, it’s the only university offering courses on governance with a focus on the future and the digital age, which made it the perfect fit for me.

After just one week of studying Future Governance, I want to share three key takeaways. Oh, by the way, I’ll often use “3” in my writing because I come from a workplace culture that uses the “rule of three” to make explanations clearer and more efficient. So, here we go:

It’s Never Too Late to Learn Programming—

Honestly, even though I’ve never fully understood programming, the Insights Through Data (ITD) class is one I was really looking forward to! Before coming to Edinburgh, I took an R Programming course, but, yup—you guessed it—I forgot most of it. After two ITD sessions, I discovered that I wasn’t alone in starting from scratch. Many of my classmates, including some more experienced than me, were also struggling. It felt like learning to ride a bike for the first time, but it was so exciting! Thankfully, with the help of Kate (from Cultural Heritage) and Eric, I survived Pairing Week. So, how’s Nadia x Programming coming along? Stay tuned for updates in my next post!

 Love What You Don’t Love—

Who would have thought I’d be writing a blog? And yes, that means I have to start loving reading too! As someone who doesn’t naturally enjoy reading, being a master’s student has been quite the challenge. But, I’m grateful, because this has brought me closer to AI tools that are actually here to help. Special thanks to Jake for inspiring me with his experience on how to write a good blog, especially for someone like me, whose first language isn’t English. Using AI to improve my English has been a lifesaver! Also, a shoutout to Microsoft Word for its Dictation feature—it made me fall in love with typing. [Credit to Emma Radmilovic for introducing me to dictation, see her here]

As for reading, so far I’ve tackled six items from the reading list. To be honest, I don’t always fully understand them right away, but ChatGPT has been a huge help. Whenever I don’t get something, I just ask, and while I know it’s not as smart as my lecturers, it makes me feel less alone! It’s been a real comfort for someone studying far from home.

Over-glorifying and Early Judgments Are Bad Habits—

My first assignment here was to read an article titled The Tools of Government in the Information Age. It’s been stuck in my head like a catchy song. Not because I can’t move on from it, but because of one particular term that intrigued me: hyper-modernists. This word carries so much meaning. We live in an age where digital technology is expected to solve everything, yet there’s a generation gap that complicates things. Seniors often think, “Oh, this is easy, just use technology abcde (insert trendy tech here),” but it’s not always that simple! You can’t glorify technology without first understanding the entire business process. That said, during my second week, I started to rethink my stance. Is it possible that technology really can solve almost everything?

Two weeks isn’t enough time to answer all the questions buzzing in my mind. Through this blog’s weekly journal, I’ll continue exploring what I’ve learned here. Up next, we’ll dive deeper into hyper-modernists and the role of digital technology in my organization. Stay tuned!