ABSTRACT
In light of growing policy complexity and prominent instances of government failure, there is growing interest among policy scientists and researchers on the means and mechanisms through which policies can be made more robust and hence resistant to the impacts of unanticipated shocks. This chapter aims to expand on this existing trajectory by examining the conditions and processes needed for the design and formulation of robust policies. Of particular interest is how the policy process can maintain functionality in the face of shocks and uncertainty. We emphasize robustness as an important criteria of contemporary policy design. This emphasis on robustness and agility is likely to gain significance as policy issues become increasingly complex, stakeholders multitudinous and the policy process increasingly vulnerable to both exogenous shocks and endogenous changes.
