Navigating the Future through Experimental Policy Design

Abstract

Innovative strategies in public policy design are crucial to effectively address the complex and interconnected environmental challenges governments face today. The intricate and uncertain nature of these problems often requires experimental coproduction solutions that integrate and synthesize diverse areas of expertise and stakeholder viewpoints and demand experimental and adaptive capacity to respond in turbulent times. As policy-generative experiments in policy design spread and gain legitimacy, they pose substantial challenges: What challenges do governments encounter in implementing experimental coproduction solutions, and what capacities should public organizations develop to navigate complex and uncertain issues effectively? This article analyses the innovative patterns in policy design experiments and the public sector’s capacities to develop in the twenty-first century. It illustrates this discussion with the case of Uruguay’s soil conservation management plans (SUMPs) as an example of experimental public policy to address land degradation and promote sustainable land management practices. Through this analysis, this paper aims to contribute to evaluating the coproduction experiments and to current discussions on how governments can foster innovation and navigate change processes to address complex and uncertain issues in sustainability transitions.