Wicked Minds - Issue #11: Brokers of Wickedness
At Socratus, we like to say things like 'data is an honest broker of complexity,' i.e., that even people who have conflicting interests or strong disagreements can still agree on the data that forms the basis for their assessments.
For example, a fossil fuel company and a climate activist might be able to agree on the extent of current oil reserves in a particular region even if they have diametrically opposite positions on what to do with oil. The US and the Soviet Union could agree on how many nuclear weapons they could each have.
In a rational model of conflict, we agree on the facts of the conflict and then bargain over our respective positions. But the real world of data is far more complicated.
To start with, we might agree on the truthfulness of a data set but disagree on whether it's the right data set to mediate our disagreement. The climate activist might say that measuring oil fields is not in their interests at all - measure the carbon in the atmosphere instead.
It might also be in my interest to hide or fudge data relevant to our dispute - I may not want to tell you how many nuclear weapons I have or whether I have the capacity to make one.
Finally, it might be in my interest to deny data and facts altogether, i.e., not just dispute whether this data set or that data set is correct, but that no data is relevant and we will make up whatever facts that suit our case.
Therefore, if we really want to broker a wicked problem using data, we should have a trustworthy and honest process that
Secures commitment and fidelity to data
Produces the right data set and
Mediates disagreement based on the data produced in step 2
Obtains alignment based on commitment in step 1 and mediation in step 3
Even this is too 'logical' a process but at least it's a little wickeder than the simple model where everyone falls in line once data is shown. Moral of the story: the hard facts captured in 'data' are deeply intertwined with soft assessments of trust.
The consensus building institute has been using data in interesting ways, including the joint production of data by the conflicting parties.
In our interconnected world, solving problems demands more of leaders than ever before: innovative stakeholder engagement, conflict resolution, and strategic collaboration. For more than 20 years, we have worked at the forefront of collaboration and conflict resolution, helping leaders generate breakthrough results on tough social, environmental, and economic issues.
Who can you trust in a post-truth world? - The Long and Short With the proliferation of misinformation, scandals and fake news, we have become more aware of the value of truth and trust. And that can be a good thing, argues Brennan Jacoby
Just as data is produced in the course of an honest inquiry, secrecy is also produced in the course of an unbridled quest for dominance.
Restricted Data: The History of Nuclear Secrecy in the United States, Wellerstein — press.uchicago.edu The book Restricted Data: The History of Nuclear Secrecy in the United States, Alex Wellerstein is published by University of Chicago Press.