UNPOG

Institutionalizing Foresight - Integrating Futures Thinking into Public Sector Planning July 27, 2026

Institutionalizing Foresight- Integrating Futures Thinking into Public Sector Planning.pdf

Key Messages

Strategic foresight and strategic planning work best together, creating an adaptive governance system that manages current volatility while preparing for future uncertainties, accelerating progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and shaping the post-2030 development framework.
Despite widespread adoption of foresight units globally, most remain isolated from core government decision-making processes, limiting their strategic impact and diminishing organizational learning.
Integration requires systemic change across four dimensions: governance structures that link foresight to strategy; capabilities spanning both domains; processes that embed future-thinking into planning cycles; and practices that ensure actionable, politically aware outputs.
When foresight is properly embedded, organizations become more resilient, anticipate disruptions earlier, and make demonstrably better strategic choices under uncertainty.

Author : Prabin Maharjan

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