Cooperative and continuous foresight - a proposal for a national foresight approach
valtioneuvoston kanslia
13.05.2014
Julkaisusarja:
Prime Minister’s Office Reports 2/2014This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-287-096-4Tiivistelmä
On 3 June 2013 the Prime Minister’s Office launched a project for a foresight model, as part of the Government
Report on the Future. The aim was to build a national foresight approach which would provide elements
contributing to Finland’s competitive edge and its role as a pioneer. The purpose of the project was to address
long-term foresight needs and objectives, parties, actors, interfaces, the work cycle, time periods studied,
methods, procedures and costs, and to explore the potential need to alter the division of responsibilities
between various actors.
The aim of the national foresight approach is to provide Finnish decision-makers with the best possible
perspectives into the future, while enabling the public administration to create a basis for shaping the future by
providing shared operating approaches and forums for foresight activities. Closer cooperation and shared
processes between foresight actors could improve the effectiveness of foresight activities and raise the pace at
which foresight information passes through the strategy stage into practice. Implementation will be expedited
through trials which could be launched already in the foresight phase. The new operating approach could be
implemented by the following means:
1. The Government appoints a Foresight Group comprising permanent and non-permanent members. The
Government Foresight Group is tasked with coordination and innovation relating to Finnish foresight activities.
A General Secretary assigned to the Prime Minister’s Office performs preparatory work for and supports the
group’s decision-making. The results are regularly reported to permanent secretaries.
2. National foresight network will be extensive in scope and have a concrete mandate. Network members will
form networks of their own according to need. Such networks can be either organisation- or theme-based and
include representatives of various parties.
3. Foresight actors will be invited to convene at regular foresight forums in order to share and discuss topical,
future-related themes and create new perspectives. Forum results will be widely communicated and foresight
actors will form a tight, actively communicating network.
4. In addition to national level foresight, an international foresight report will be regularly produced by
commissioning Finnish or foreign research. Such research may be based on a pre-defined theme, or explore
new phenomena.
5. National foresight expertise will be supported by training organised and provided on an extensive basis. The
foresight secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office will be responsible for organising this training.
6. The primary target audience of the understanding and perspectives generated by the new foresight
approach will be the political actors regularly provided with foresight reviews. These foresight reviews will not
aim to generate an understanding between actors, but to provide an overall picture of future possibilities and
risks.
7. The possibility will be explored of creating an online portal known as Tulevaisuuskartasto.fi (“the future
atlas”), for the distribution of foresight data, analysis and discussion. This portal may be built on the basis of an
existing portal.
8. The effectiveness, topicality, objectivity and quality of the foresight approach must be regularly monitored
and assessed.
Report on the Future. The aim was to build a national foresight approach which would provide elements
contributing to Finland’s competitive edge and its role as a pioneer. The purpose of the project was to address
long-term foresight needs and objectives, parties, actors, interfaces, the work cycle, time periods studied,
methods, procedures and costs, and to explore the potential need to alter the division of responsibilities
between various actors.
The aim of the national foresight approach is to provide Finnish decision-makers with the best possible
perspectives into the future, while enabling the public administration to create a basis for shaping the future by
providing shared operating approaches and forums for foresight activities. Closer cooperation and shared
processes between foresight actors could improve the effectiveness of foresight activities and raise the pace at
which foresight information passes through the strategy stage into practice. Implementation will be expedited
through trials which could be launched already in the foresight phase. The new operating approach could be
implemented by the following means:
1. The Government appoints a Foresight Group comprising permanent and non-permanent members. The
Government Foresight Group is tasked with coordination and innovation relating to Finnish foresight activities.
A General Secretary assigned to the Prime Minister’s Office performs preparatory work for and supports the
group’s decision-making. The results are regularly reported to permanent secretaries.
2. National foresight network will be extensive in scope and have a concrete mandate. Network members will
form networks of their own according to need. Such networks can be either organisation- or theme-based and
include representatives of various parties.
3. Foresight actors will be invited to convene at regular foresight forums in order to share and discuss topical,
future-related themes and create new perspectives. Forum results will be widely communicated and foresight
actors will form a tight, actively communicating network.
4. In addition to national level foresight, an international foresight report will be regularly produced by
commissioning Finnish or foreign research. Such research may be based on a pre-defined theme, or explore
new phenomena.
5. National foresight expertise will be supported by training organised and provided on an extensive basis. The
foresight secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office will be responsible for organising this training.
6. The primary target audience of the understanding and perspectives generated by the new foresight
approach will be the political actors regularly provided with foresight reviews. These foresight reviews will not
aim to generate an understanding between actors, but to provide an overall picture of future possibilities and
risks.
7. The possibility will be explored of creating an online portal known as Tulevaisuuskartasto.fi (“the future
atlas”), for the distribution of foresight data, analysis and discussion. This portal may be built on the basis of an
existing portal.
8. The effectiveness, topicality, objectivity and quality of the foresight approach must be regularly monitored
and assessed.