The document discusses the relationship between sustainable development goals (SDGs) and strategic foresight, emphasizing the need for participative dialogues and innovative practices in policy-making. It outlines the importance of building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions while addressing challenges such as capability building and the complexity of predicting future scenarios. Additionally, it presents 11 principles for 'foresighters for SDGs' to enhance engagement and responsiveness in the global agenda.

1. Sustainable Development, SDGs
and engaging with the future
Helsinki, Finland
08 June 2016

2. 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

3. 3
Quick Intro

7. “Effective, Accountable
and Inclusive
Institutions”
-“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”

8. New scale, participants, focus, methods, institutions
• Opportunities – scale
it’s an international endeavour – all countries and
a 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 processes
Government; 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

9. 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

11. 11
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