Scientific foundations of addressing risk in complex and dynamic environments

Development, deployment and application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and digital infrastructure continue with unabated intensity in the petroleum-related activity on the Norwegian shelf. This development towards what is denoted Integrated Operations (IO) creates new ways of organizing work, new work processes and increased automation, e.g. closer collaboration offshore–onshore, cooperation across organizational and geographical borders. This creates new challenges for managing risk. Although there are different versions of IO today, we argue that it is possible to identify and study generic properties within such IO manifestations. The current paper focus on the potential complexity of IO in the generic sense, and some scientific implications in terms of addressing risk. The paper uses the century-old metaphor of “wildness in wait” to engage the wide field of complexity theory in a productive way to address systemic properties of risk. The paper further uses the Cynefin sensemaking framework in order to identify and address the crucial distinction between directed (resultant) and un-directed (emergent) order. The paper finally discusses the importance of seeing risk assessment as a social knowledge practice.