The document discusses managing enterprise projects as wicked problems, which lack definitive formulations and stopping rules, and have solutions that are neither true nor false but can be deemed good or bad. These problems evolve rapidly, making past solutions obsolete and often represent symptoms of larger issues. Overall, it emphasizes the complexity and unique challenges in addressing wicked problems in project management.

1. Managing Enterprise Projects as
Wicked Problems

2. Wicked Problems …
§ Have no definitive
formulation
§ Have no stopping rule
§ Are not true or false, but
bad or good solutions
§ Have no immediate or
ultimate test for
unintended consequences
§ May have one shot only
because of irreversible
consequences
§ Have no enumerable or
exhaustive set of solutions
§ Possess uniqueness
§ Are probably a symptom
of another problem
§ Possess Discrepancies
§ Require the planner,
programmer, or budgeter
has no right to be wrong

3. No Definitive Formulation
§ Complex problems are ill-defined
§ More information does not make
them less ambiguous
3

4. 4
No Stopping
Rule
§ Past solutions or best
practices may continue
even if conditions
change
§ Conditions of the
problem change more
rapidly than a planned,
programmed, or
budgeted changes can
keep up
§ Solution becomes
disconnected from the
problem as the problem
morphs

5. Neither True or False, but Bad or Good
Solutions
§ Solutions are
infused with
hidden values
§ Unseen value
judgments and
intuition
§ No economic
reasoning
5

6. No Test for Unintended
Consequences

7. One Shot Only
7

8. No Enumerable or Exhaustive Set of
Solutions
8

9. Possess Uniqueness
9

10. Probably the Symptom of Another
Proble,
10

11. Possess Discrepancies
11

12. No Right to Be Wrong
12