25.14.29
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Futures, Foresight and Horizon Scanning Training

Salma Maulid SALUM

Foresight is the capacity to think systematically about the future to inform decision making today. Purpose-specific futures, foresight, and horizon scanning methods have been helping constituents to consider issues more deeply and to better inform a wide range of work, from policy and programming, project formulation and implementation, to communications and advocacy.

The Foresight Training for AFDB helps participants develop a Future Foresight mindset based on the set of skills required to work with foresight tools. The training takes a project-based learning approach, meaning that participants will work on different scenarios applied to topics they would like to explore using futures and foresight tools to guide them in developing strategies or projects.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of the course, participants are able to:

  • Explain what strategic foresight is and how it can be used in their work.

  • Develop a foresight mindset by acquiring both soft and technical skills.

  • Learn various methods for identifying trends, assessing drivers of change, and building future scenarios.

  • Deepen understanding of the driving forces influencing the current context.

  • Explore the implications of future scenarios and drivers of change for the organisation, and context they are working on.

  • Construct possible, probable, and desirable futures, based on identified challenges.

CONTENT

The course tackles the following topics :

  • Foresight mindset and vocabulary

  • Horizon scanning: trends, signals, and drivers of change

  • Mapping of future challenges in a complex context

  • “What if” scenario building and creation of alternative futures

  • Prototyping future solutions

  • Developing actionable strategies based on alternative futures


NUMBER OF HOURS: 24 hours

Skills / Knowledge

  • Trend Analysis and Horizon Scanning: Participants will develop the ability to systematically scan for and identify emerging trends, signals, and drivers of change
  • Scenario Planning: Participants will acquire the skill to build and evaluate various future scenarios, including possible, probable, and desirable futures
  • Strategic Foresight Application: Participants will learn how to apply foresight techniques to create actionable strategies for navigating future challenges

Issued on

May 22, 2025

Expires on

Does not expire