Over the years, and with support of many collaborators, my work has combined scientific approaches across disciplinary divides with the aim to improve decision-making in the water sector. By now, the portfolio spans an unlikely combination from water science and engineering, statistics and computer science to MCDA, problem structuring and group facilitation work, with more recent additions from the behavioural sciences and serious gaming. No consolidated scientific body of knowledge has been more inspiring, instructive, and useful in this endeavour than that of OR in its aspiration to be “the science of better”. Yet, being faced with the undisciplined practical realities of water challenges ranging from ‘tame’ to ‘super-wicked’, we have had to overcome many limitations of the OR toolbox, common-sense assumptions about decision-making, and a paucity of design guidance when using OR in transdisciplinary multi-stakeholder interventions. A probably undue amount of trial and error was involved in bridging disciplinary tensions and methodological gaps when blending OR with other fields to expand into interand transdisciplinary territory. Looking back at the rich interdisciplinary history of OR and its realworld problem-solving orientation, it seems surprising that such degree of muddling through would still be necessary today. In this talk, I will map the types of problems encountered against common OR approaches, and illustrate some of the gaps and solutions with both successful and failed OR interventions in water sector decision-making. Zooming out, I will propose that stretching current perspectives to (re-)include and build upon insights from systems thinking and systems analysis, behavioural science, and process design for social change, the OR community can address some of these gaps and increase its impact as a more actionable science of better.

Biography of the speaker:
Professor Lisa Scholten’s work focuses on Decisions in Water Systems. She holds an Engineering Degree (Dipl.Ing.) in Urban and Industrial Water Resources Management with a minor in East Asia/China studies from TU Dresden, Germany, a PhD degree from ETH Z¨urich, Switzerland, and recently completed an Executive MSc in Behavioural Science at LSE, United Kingdom.”In my work, I develop knowledge, methods and processes for systemic interventions that aim to facilitate better decision making in the water sector. I endorse systems thinking and operations research as well as insights from the social and behavioural sciences. The direct engagement of stakeholder into research and the training of current and future water managers in a way that enables them to embrace complexity are key priorities to me.”

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