Climate security's unexpected superhero revealed
""Planning and preparing for an uncertain future requires skill, agility, and focus... All U.S. Government agencies should strive to do more to build greater applied foresight capacity." Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Foresight Handbook-Developing & Applying Strategic Foresight for Better Human Capital Management (2023)
🚗 Autonomous driving revolution happening now
In Brief: American University is partnering with DMS Academy to offer a Strategic Foresight Leadership in Public Service program. Scholar Jerome Glenn provides insight into the program.
🌍 The future-shaping pact world leaders are debating
The UN General Assembly has adopted a new "Pact for the Future" aiming to make the organization more effective in the 21st century. The pact pledges action on sustainable development, climate change, conflict prevention, and human rights. While the pact sets ambitious goals, it lacks specific implementation details for many of its promises. Some nations opposed the pact, arguing it infringes on national sovereignty, but were unable to prevent its adoption.
🌍 Rebooting global cooperation for innovation and foresight
Annette L Gardner, PHD, MPH, formerly an Associate Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Gardner has 20+ years of evaluation expertise, both as a practitioner and educator. She has designed and directed national, state, and local evaluations focusing on insurance coverage expansions for low-income Americans, the adoption of health information technology, and expanded advocacy capacity. For example, she was the lead evaluator of a 5-year initiative to expand coordinated care services to veterans at the Veterans Administration. She is a frequent presenter on evaluation designs and findings and an evaluation educator, conducting 1-day professional development workshops for the American Evaluation Association and the European Evaluation Society (EES). Her evaluation findings have been published in Health Affairs, Foundation Review, and Federal Practitioner, and many others.Additionally, a political scientist with academic interests in federalism, community empowerment and health care reform, Dr. Gardner is a thought leader on advocacy and policy change evaluation. In 2017, she and Claire Brindis, DrPH recently co-authored the definitive book, Advocacy and Policy Change Evaluation: Theory and Practice (Stanford University Press).Last, Dr. Gardner has training in foresight from the Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies. She was a Senior Associate at the Institute for Alternative Futures and a foresight educator at the University of California, San Francisco. She has worked on a variety of alternative scenario projects, such as pharmaceutical R&D, information age, nursing, and chiropractic care. She is a leader in advancing foresight evaluation practice. In 2019, she co-edited a special issue of the World Futures Review on evaluation of foresight with Peter Bishop. From 2021 to 2022, she served as the Chair of the Association of Professional Futurists Foresight Evaluation Task Force, an 18-month initiative to explore the intersection of evaluation and foresight. Currently, she is focusing on expanding foresight practitioner evaluation capacity and is developing a curated, online foresight evaluation toolkit. She is also focusing on expanding evaluator foresight capacity and has conducted foresight methods workshops at evaluation conferences. She is also developing a themed issue of New Directions for Evaluation with her evaluation colleagues.
Designing policies for unpredictable futures
Ursula von der Leyen is set to lead the European Commission again, with priorities including infrastructure investment and EU defense. A key question is whether foresight will remain a significant focus at the top EU level. Foresight, which explores possible future developments to better prepare for uncertainties, has gained importance in EU policymaking. Its retention as a specific portfolio could help strengthen the EU's preparedness and evidence-based policymaking approach.
Deep tech trends shaping our future governance
The World Futures Studies Federation's Governance Foresight Workstream (GFW) aims to explore and advise on governance-related aspects of futures-thinking. It targets governmental bodies, international organizations, and other stakeholders to help navigate policy controversies with a future-oriented perspective. The GFW plans to establish an international community of futures practitioners and governance stakeholders. It will focus on developing governance-tailored methods and best practices to promote effective forward-planning and bridge the gap between research and policy development.
🔋 Lithium's global race shapes energy's future
In Brief: "Driving forces of change" are significant trends and issues that shape the future, rooted in society, technology, economy, environment, and politics. Identifying these drivers involves horizon-scanning to track signals of change and emerging issues.
Strategic foresight shapes tomorrow's public service
American University and DMS Academy are partnering to offer a Strategic Foresight Leadership in Public Service program. Scholar Jerome Glenn provides valuable insights into this upcoming initiative. The program aims to equip public service leaders with foresight skills for navigating future challenges. Participants will learn to anticipate and prepare for potential scenarios in their respective fields.
🌎 5 Mega Threats Reshaping Our Global Future
American University, in collaboration with DMS Academy, is launching a Strategic Foresight Leadership program for public service professionals. The program aims to equip leaders with skills to anticipate and prepare for future challenges in governance. Christopher Jones, a noted scholar, provides valuable insights into the program's curriculum and its potential impact on public sector leadership. The course is designed to enhance strategic thinking and decision-making abilities in an ever-changing political landscape.