On Designing Public Policy as an Evolving Cyber Physical Social System

Abstract

Cyber Physical Social Systems (CPSS) represent a dynamic landscape where contemporary challenges often take the form of enigmatic "Wicked Problems." These problems are marked by their complexity, with incomplete information and multiple stakeholders, each with different views and goals. This necessitates the incorporation of human judgements and abilities compounded through computational capabilities to carry interpretive and evidentiary analysis to frame wicked problems. One prominent area where these problems arise is in the realm of public policy. Public policies require a nuanced approach that recognizes their inherently complex nature and employs appropriate methods to navigate these intricacies. Viewed through the systems thinking lens, social issues, particularly wicked problems, resemble evolving CPSS. Understanding the evolving nature of CPSS is fundamental for designers, as it lays the foundation for comprehending their intricate dynamics, characteristics, and requirements, serving as a prerequisite for navigating these complex domains. In this context, the hypothesis is that public policy is an evolving CPSS. To design effective public policies, one must grasp the interaction between social integration strategies, problem structure, and the social environment. This holistic understanding not only frames wicked problems and integrates the foundational knowledge required for evolving CPSS but also illuminates the concept of public policy as a dynamic and evolving entity. This enlightenment empowers a comprehensive approach to design public policy and synthesizing design options that address multifaceted societal challenges within a systems framework. The primary objective through this thesis is to define a Ph.D. proposal that will be submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and will anchor in research gaps which I will address in my dissertation. The key takeaways from this thesis include a deeper understanding of effectively framing wicked problems, establishing foundational knowledge for designing evolving cyber-physical-social systems, and exploring the foundational approach for holistic design of public policy. This is anchored in establishing the characteristics of evolving CPSS and identifying the requirements list to aid designers to design evolving CPSS. Said that, the further stage lies in developing a cognitive map for evolving CPSS from the perspective of design based decision support to design public policies and assist policy makers to make better informed decisions. This is furthered by establishing an approach and a conceptual map to design public policies that is defined technically in the proposal as the outcome of this thesis.