Future Studies Programs have been in use in organizations for a long time based on a variety of theories about how change occurs, concepts such as vision, strategic planning, project management and methods such as statistical analysis and scenarios. The concept of “foresight” is a recent response to thinking systematically about rapid change to envision the future, estimate the associated challenges and uncertainties, and act to influence trends.
The basic effort of the “foresight” theorists is to connect vision with influential action today by drawing on the conceptual and methodological traditions of several approaches: forecasting and prospectives, long-range and strategic analysis and planning, priority setting and project management, and development of social networks for broad participation. The “foresight” approach is very interesting in that it requires thinking about what the future might look like, envisioning the implications for the present and taking action now to pro-actively manage change. Interesting methodologies within this framework are being used by many organizations, especially in Europe. The approach could be useful in Peruvian organizations for decision-making in the current effort to reduce poverty, increase participation and expand markets.
The following selection of webs aims at providing a brief overview of the concept, examples of experience in several fields of action in both public and private organizations, examples of tools that are useful and portals to additional information. Please remember that you can go to the ACAP website, click on this article and easily access the links. There are also a few additional links for fun to hear or read what a few have to say about important trends and the implications for the future.
CONCEPT CLARIFICATION
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foresight_(futures_studies)
EXAMPLES OF EXPERIENCE WITH FORESIGHT STRATEGIES AND METHODS
Suggestions on How to Formulate Policy and Train from the
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
http://www.unido.org/doc/5216 and UNIDO Manual on Technology Foresight
http://www.unido.org/data/forms.cfm?formcode=TF-MANUAL-REG
Foresight Programs of the European Commission Science and Technology http://cordis.europa.eu/foresight/home.html
OECD Internet Issues for the Future
http://www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/issues/oecd_ministerial.shtml
Foresight and Governance Project of the Woodrow Wilson Center
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=topics.home&topic_id=1414
Looking Forward http://wwics.si.edu/subsites/lookingforward/index.htm
UK Centre for Future Studies (Consultants)
http://www.futurestudies.co.uk/
Institute for Alternative Futures (Health)
http://www.altfutures.com/foresight.asp
EXPERIENCE WITH TOOLS AND METHODS
UK Office of Government Commerce Successful Delivery Toolkit
http://www.ogc.gov.uk/resource_toolkit.asp and http://www.ogc.gov.uk/introduction_to_the_resource_toolkit_tools_techniques.asp
US Environmental protection Agency Shaping Our Environmental Future: Foresight in the Office of Research and Development (Handbook with sections on methods)
http://www.epa.gov/osp/futures/FuturesHandbook.pdf
Wharton School of Business (use of Delphi and statistics)
http://www.forecastingprinciples.com/
Foresight Health Challenges and Nanotechnology
http://www.foresight.org/challenges/health.html
Manufacturing Visions (Funded by the European Commission)
http://www.manufacturing-visions.org/de/content/about.html
Consultant providing foresight services on health issues
http://www.foresightcorp.com/
European Commission For Learn (Education)
http://forlearn.jrc.es/guide/A1_key-terms/education.htm
http://forera.jrc.es/fta/documents/higher_education.doc
Research and Education Cordis ( Reports on the Cordis Knowledge Sharing Platform)
http://cordis.europa.eu/foresight/reports.htm
Futures Learning Section of World Futures Society (Online Discussion Group)
http://www.wfs.org/futureslearning/
A Millenium Project Example of a Delphi Study on Education
http://www.realtimedelphi.com/STUDIES/education/kedu.php
FORESIGHT PORTALS
Joseph Coates Future Studies Portal http://www.josephcoates.com/resources.html
Foundation for the Future http://www.futurefoundation.org/resources/index.htm
Foresight Institute (Nanotechnology) http://www.foresight.org/resources/
World Future Society http://www.wfs.org/ (Search for Foresight)
US http://www.usa.gov/ (Search foresight)
US Woodrow Wilson Center Looking Forward Links
http://wwics.si.edu/subsites/lookingforward/links/interesting.htm
UK Foresight Program http://www.foresight.gov.uk/
Innovation in Canada Science and Technology Foresight Learning from a Federal Pilot Project http://www.innovationstrategy.gc.ca/gol/innovation/site.nsf/en/in05245.html
A FEW TRENDS TO THINK ABOUT
Listen to Top Ten Outlook for the Future on You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKYY_8iqaB0
Listen to Trends in Personal Medicine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXfzL0uLX_Q
We Media American Press Institute How Audiences are Actively Shaping the Future
http://hypergene.net/wemedia/download/we_media.pdf
OnLine Publishing in the 21st Century
http://www.dlib.org/dlib/october03/henry/10henry.html
Gateway to 21st Century Skills
http://www.thegateway.org/
