Coordinated Governance in the VUCA Scenario

Abstract

This article is a general review of the literature on the VUCA model and its relationship with the field of governance and public administration based on growing interdependence and, consequently, coordination needs. Although it is true that it is a recent and still little treated relationship, we believe that it could not only increase academic understanding, but also be a preliminary step to suggest avenues for future study. The study is exploratory in nature and data has been collected from various documentary sources such as journals, research articles, organisational reports, government reports, media reports, and articles available on the web that helped guide the work. The article proposes that the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Abiguity) paradigm is a useful lens through which to look when thinking about governance challenges in terms of coordination. This is equally true for macro issues, such as the current COVID-19 crisis, and for the task of coordination at the national and local levels because many of the complex public problems require coordinated solutions.