Models for research into decision-making processes: on phases, streams, rounds and tracks of decision-making

Public administration scholars agree that decision-making has become more complex. Several reasons can be identified for this increased complexity. Two important ones are increased uncertainty about the dynamics and interdependencies in global networks and the power-sharing characteristics or that ‘network society’. In networks, local circumstances can change quickly due to networks dynamics. At the same time, decisions are taken in a society where nobody is in charge (Bryson and Crosby 1992; Kickert et al. 1997). These two system changes do make public decision-making complex. Situations can change quickly and any decision taken interacts with decisions taken by others.