Blog
All blog posts on this page are in English. The IRWIN project also publishes blog posts in Finnish. For more reading, you might want to see our blog in Finnish.
Information resilience in the intersection of science and politics
It is understandable that clear solutions are expected in tough situations. Science, just as any other man-made institution, is imperfect. The quick development of the corona-vaccines however stands to show that the system is working.
The unbearable challenges of leadership and decision-making
The ongoing corona-crisis in many ways makes concrete the challenges of how hard it is to lead, or even to somewhat manage, multidimensional crisis situations. Ready-made plans and practiced measures may not be useful in rhizome crises like a pandemic. Successfully managing such a crisis may also require greater public involvement in dealing with the situation.
Participation in Knowledge Increases Agency
Crises in modern society are also crises in knowledge utilisation. Knowledge-based decision-making based on trustworthy information is a central problem in new and unforeseen situations. An even bigger challenge is to get the population to act in accordance with the knowledge. The governance approach easily emphasises communication, although inclusion in the decision-making process that concerns one’s own safety – whenever possible – could warrant better reactions. Soft means of influence still have weak traditions in public administration.
What does “disinformation” mean – The importance of arguing over terminology
Examining and defining the meaning of concepts is an important part of both the scientific and public debate. People use concepts to express how they see and understand their living environment and the use of concepts structures our understanding about issues. In the public debate, the defining of concepts, and especially the arguing over them, might in some instances seem like futile pedantry over nuances. The controversy over the meaning of concepts should not be ignored, quite the contrary, attention should be paid to it. The same concept might mean different things in different contexts, which is of great importance for decision-making and the organising of societal matters.
Hindsight is bad, foresight is good, trust is the best
The veil of ignorance in times of the corona pandemic means accepting the fact that decisions have to be taken in situations of prevailing uncertainty. Decisions are always based on incomplete information. In a situation such as a pandemic, the incompleteness of information is always exceptionally large. There is however no such option as not making decisions in these extremely fast changing situations.
Pandemic governance - a marathon
The past two years have shown, that governing the COVID-pandemic is not a 100-meter dash where a winner emerges in just a matter of seconds. What is rather needed is a marathon like pandemic governance strategy. Such a strategy builds on positive path dependencies, which are created through training of preparedness, resilience, adaptation and learning.
The floods in Germany are an important reminder of the challenges within national preparedness
The large-scale floods in Germany are a reminder of the challenges of national preparedness in Europe, challenges that may have been pushed into the background due to the corona crisis. The ongoing IRWIN research project examines the development needs within national preparedness from the perspectives of information resilience and complex governance environments. From a legal point of view, it is a question of, among other things, the utilisation of information in the regulation of the division of resources and responsibilities between the various actors within national preparedness.
The Dirty Dozen of Ignorance
The IRWIN-project explores the nature of information resilience and examines its emergence and consequences. Information resilience is a good goal, that will not be reached by itself. For many reasons, goals are not always reached despite the best of efforts and a lot of hard work. Next, I will present a summary of explanations for this, that I have named The Dirty Dozen.
Information resilience for breakfast
The last few weeks Finnish news has been buzzing over the so called ‘breakfast gate’. In the centre of the debate has been the meal benefit related to the Prime Minister’s residence. The case has been examined through the lenses of correctness, costs and tax implications, to name a few. Closer inspection of the case reveals many information related issues. What started off as a seemingly small issue, has blown up into one discussed even internationally. The case itself tells a story of trust and distrust. The unravelling of the situation, on the other hand, tells an intertwined story of uncertainty and learning, one from which information resilience can emerge and grow.
Giant leaps for mankind
Modern societies’ preparedness to overcome unexpected events like the covid-pandemic largely rests on our knowledge of similar events in the past. Such knowledge can be replicated, combined, tested, and further developed to adapt to each new crisis ahead. The better we take care of our accumulated knowledge and collective shared memory, the faster we will be able to react to future crises with fact-based policies and effective treatments.
Pirullista peliä turuilla ja toreilla
Kunnallisvaalien lykkääminen jakoi suomalaisten mielipiteitä. Yhdet näkivät, että hallituksen maaliskuussa 2021 tekemä päätös oli oikea, sillä vaaleja ei olisi voitu järjestää riittävän turvallisesti. Toiset kokivat, että vaalien lykkäämisen taustalla oli vaalitaktisia vaikuttimia. Kolmannet taas tiesivät, että vaalien siirtämiseen päädyttiin, koska oikeusministeriö ei kyennyt ajoissa valmistelemaan äänestämistä poikkeusoloissa. Yksi päätös, monta johtopäätöstä. Onko kysymys kohteena olevan asian erilaisista ominaisuuksista vai kohdetta tarkastelevien erilaisista linsseistä?
Adaptive regulation and systemic governance
The regulatory and policymaking environment has changed significantly in recent decades. The societal decision-making environment seems increasingly multifaceted, complex and hard to predict. However, regulation – and the preparation of it – as well as governance models have remained largely unchanged. This causes problems especially when lawmakers and political decision-makers seek to resolve complex or even wicked problems. A preview of this was given during the Sipilä government’s drafting of the law to reform the Finnish health and social services (sote-uudistus). The current government’s corona measures partially add to this government. The Finnish Health and Social Services Reform will also challenge future governments. What is this phenomenon ultimately about?
The pandemic and extremism – wicked tests of resilience
A researcher acting in accordance with the basic philosophical settings of science, gets grey hairs from the notion that the information we receive - and by extension the image we form of reality – is to an increasing extent out of our own hands.