Information and Agency

In systems designed for complicated problems, information and agency are often not well balanced.  High-level decision-makers usually lack detailed frontline information, while frontline service providers possess rich information but limited decision-making agency to adapt to different circumstances. When designed for a complex challenge, information and agency are rebalanced across networked system of actors, reflecting the need for distributed knowledge and adaptive capabilities to create better outcomes.

French et al. (2023) described how this problem affects public service systems and suggested that effective responses to complexity require rebalancing agency closer to where rich information resides.

Consider the compositional and experiential complexity (Four Types of Human Complexity) of people with a disability.  Many top-down government systems have checklists of services to provide. This approach assumes that service delivery can be standardized: if the service is not on the list, it is not to be provided. In this system design, dedicated frontline staff who possess critical, on-the-ground information about each individual’s unique challenges have limited agency to adapt the support they provide. They can be trapped by rigid rules created by distant decision-makers who are incentivized to worry about other things, like preventing fraud (Accountability to Learning).

If the challenge of service delivery to people with a disability was recognized as complex— where each person who needs support is recognized as unique—agency and information would need to be rebalanced. Those closest to the service recipient would have to be empowered with the agency to adjust help based on rich, real-time information. Such a shift would transform support services from rigid processes into responsive partnerships (Transactional to Relational), empowering individuals to navigate their specific circumstances and achieve better outcomes. 

The Complexity Theory of Outcome Creation identifies three capabilitites of a system where information and agency are rebalanced. These capabilities include stewardship (ability to make independent decisions based on local rich information), coordination (ability to reach out and connect with others as needed), and adaptation (ability to freely change how to adapt to new information or changing circumstances).