Sustainable Development, SDGs

and engaging with the future

Helsinki, Finland

08 June 2016

New practice has been incentivised by the SDGs

• International and especially national innovative practice

• New scale, participants, issues, methods and institutions/actors

• Innovations goes both ways

Post-2015 agenda led to interest in SF

• International Consultations and national-led experimentation

• Core to the role of government and governance. SDG16: “effective, accountable and inclusive institutions”

The link between SD and Strategic Foresight

• SDs engages with certain and uncertain futures: Limits to Growth, Planetary Boundaries, the Doughnut

• SDGs framework as a huge global strategic foresight exercise –transformational and cash-strapped!

How does SD challenge Foresight – improve synergies

Virtuous dynamic: How we do foresight must change and is changing

• SDGs has changed what we need from the foresight field

• International process modelling new behaviour and new participative, longer-term, flexible way of policy-making

• Incorporate complex adaptive systems, design, emergence

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Quick Intro

“Effective, Accountable and InclusiveInstitutions”

-“The Post-2015 national consultations have shown the potential of participative dialogues about the futures as a powerful tool. An inspiring narrative and a vision for all”

New scale, participants, focus, methods, institutions

• Opportunities – scaleit’s an international endeavour – all countries anda global mission of transformation. Alliances – e.g.ILO country dialogues

• Participants“no one left behind” – focus on voiceless, powerless

• Areas of focus and concern: regional conversation on water (SDG6); focus on fragile stages (e.g. G7plus); comprehensively across foreign and domestic national policy “national strategic narrative”

• Methods“frugal foresight” – under different conditions, culturally sensitive and capability aware

• Institutions, actors and processesGovernment; Judiciary and Audit; others

“We need to build the effectiveness of countries, companies and international institutions on longer term issues” Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations

Final messages – building on the synergies

Outstanding Challenges

• Moving beyond linear and technocratic

• Measuring indicators and targets

• Mixed picture on capability building

• Insufficient focus on impact

• Joining up across areas with different language

Agenda for change

• Principles for using foresight in a new global agenda

• Critical to each country – resonate… government-led process, citizen and business-led content

• Seize the 2016 moment

• Institute for Empowered Futures

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PRINCIPLES FOR “FORESIGHTERS FOR SDGS”

1. Foresight must be open and participative

2. Integral to conversations about the future of government

3. Strategic foresight must evolve to be effective in different environments and places, develop new methods, focus, issues, institutions

4. There is a growth of interest – let’s respond with results

5. Widen the field: embrace allies, communities, frames

6. Embrace emergence and the nature of complexity –anticipate, build resilience, rapid feedback

PURPOSE DRIVEN