Soft OR as a response to inherent vices: Problem structuring to offset policy volatility

Most policies suffer from what we call the “inherent vices” of policy design – attributes which increase policy volatility and risks of failure. These risks of uncertainty, maliciousness and non-compliance often emerge from the human or behavioural aspects of policy processes, such as when target populations fail to comply with rules designed to achieve a specific public value, or when policy-makers fail to design policies that achieve such values in the first place. Soft OR, developed on the assumption that problems are perceived by stakeholders through different lenses based on their social, cultural and psychological constructs, presents useful policy tools for assessing and dealing with these risks. We critically assess the use of Soft OR methods as tools for improving public policy-making.