Strategic Foresight
Our course on Strategic Foresight will introduce you to a unique portfolio of frameworks and concepts that support predictive reasoning. You will be shown how to scan your operating environment for macro, meso and micro trends, how to amplify and analyse weak signals, and how to anticipate and capitalise on future challenges and opportunities.
Course Outline
Strategic Anticipation and Issue Identification
Strategic Anticipation
- Sensing the future: how and why
- The four levels of proactiveness
- Outside in vs. inside out thinking
- Understanding the dynamics of change
Scanning the Future
- Environmental scanning
- Trend analysis
- Impact assessments
- Identifying critical uncertainties
Cultivating Foresight
- Perspective taking
- Mapping your uncertainty
- Precision questioning and answering
- The role of constructive confrontation
Working with Weak Signals
Identifying Signals
- Weak signal identification
- Weak signal amplification
Analysing Signals
- Weak signal analysis
- Establishing hypotheses
- Identifying key risk indicators
Monitoring Signals
- Identifying intelligence sources
- Defining a monitoring strategy
- Maintaining a watchlist
Analytic Techniques for Strategic Foresight
Analytic Tools and Techniques
- Backcasting
- Shell’s seven questions
- What if analysis
- The futures wheel
- Consequence trees
- The Lidoli abacus
- Impact / probability analysis
Course Details
Who is this Course For?
This course is intended for experienced analysts, as well as for those working in the domains of horizon scanning, strategic analysis and futures research.
How You Benefit
On completion of this course you will have the ability to:
- Establish strategic foresight as an institutional / operational capability
- Identify, analyse and monitor weak signals and other change indicators
- Apply a range of foresight techniques to explore risk / crisis scenarios
- Think critically and creatively about future challenges to one’s organisation
What You Receive
- A full set of course slides in PDF
- An index of analytic techniques
- Templates to support the application of the techniques taught
- Six months of post-course support
Course Prerequisites
We recommend that participants first complete our Intelligence Analysis: Foundations course before undertaking this program. This is to ensure they understand our approach to descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analysis.
Course Requirements
Please bring a Windows or Mac laptop with you. Please also ensure you have a Gmail account to access the course materials.