A Future Search Conference …. an interesting procedure … anticipating ‘quality’ and ‘realism’ through self-management?
Very interactive dynamics!
Alternatively different homogeneous stakeholder groups and mixed stakeholder groups shared lessons from the past on bad and good experiences with a specific issue (Active Inclusion in Labour Market) which generated areas of further interest. In, so called, co-creation exercises suggestions got generated and were prioritized (dotting exercise) which let through a number of steps to specific commonly agreed recommendations.
Even though at the request of the European Social Fund of Flanders, I facilitated a ‘light’ version (4 half-day sessions over 3 days), with some ‘role-played’ stakeholders and improvised at certain moments, we got an enthusiastic group of participants who came up with a good number of seemingly valid recommendations.
My question is how ‘quality’ and ‘realism’ is assured in such an event?
The steps of a ‘Future Search’ exercise are:
1. Focus on the Past
2. Focus on Present, External Trends
3. Focus on Present and Future
4. Ideal Future Scenarios and identify Common Ground
5. Confirm Common Ground
6. Action Planning and giving policy recommendations
The principles of a ‘Future Search’ conference are:
a vision shared by everyone, a concrete action plan and strategy, commitment to implement
study the whole system (explore the ‘whole elephant’)
focus on the future and common grounds
self management and responsibility for commitment
More pictures of the conference can be viewed at our Picture Gallery:
http://projectsforchange.eu/work/future-search-conference/
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