The influence of futures work on public policy and sustainability

Riedy, C

The influence of futures work on public policy and sustainability

Riedy, C

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Foresight, 2009, 11 (5), pp. 40 - 56
Issue Date:: 2009-05-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Riedy, C https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3668-737X	en_US
dc.date.issued	2009-05-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Foresight, 2009, 11 (5), pp. 40 - 56	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1463-6689	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/10322
dc.description.abstract	Purpose - This paper aims to draw on a global scan of futures literature undertaken for the State of Play in the Futures Field (SOPIFF) project to investigate the contribution of futures work to averting looming sustainability challenges and suggest new strategies for influencing policy and practice. Design/methodology/approach - The SOPIFF project used an integral meta-scanning framework to review publicly available futures material, providing a rich source of material to use in assessing the influence achieved by futures work. The framework categorizes futures work according to organizational type, social interests, methods, domains and geographic location. Findings - On the whole, the influence achieved by futures work is disappointing given that many futurists are strongly committed to bringing about more desirable futures. Some qualified success stories include science and technology foresight, getting sustainability challenges onto the social agenda and small-scale, distributed initiatives. Research limitations/implications - Limitations of the scanning process include heavy reliance on publicly available material, prioritization of breadth over depth of analysis and the physical and cultural location of the researchers. Future iterations of the research should go beyond public material, undertake deeper analysis of scanning hits and draw in more non-western and non-English work. Practical implications - The paper proposes four strategies for increasing the influence of futures work: methodological renewal, political engagement, individual capacity building and participatory approaches. Originality/value - The paper uses the recently developed integral meta-scanning framework to provide a novel view of the futures field. The findings will be of value to foresight practitioners that are seeking to influence public policy and sustainability. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Foresight	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1108/14636680910994950	en_US
dc.subject.classification	General Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences	en_US
dc.title	The influence of futures work on public policy and sustainability	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	5	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	11	en_US
utslib.for	1606 Political Science	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Institute For Sustainable Futures
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/e-Press
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - ISF - Institute for Sustainable Futures
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	5	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	11	en_US

Abstract:

Purpose - This paper aims to draw on a global scan of futures literature undertaken for the State of Play in the Futures Field (SOPIFF) project to investigate the contribution of futures work to averting looming sustainability challenges and suggest new strategies for influencing policy and practice. Design/methodology/approach - The SOPIFF project used an integral meta-scanning framework to review publicly available futures material, providing a rich source of material to use in assessing the influence achieved by futures work. The framework categorizes futures work according to organizational type, social interests, methods, domains and geographic location. Findings - On the whole, the influence achieved by futures work is disappointing given that many futurists are strongly committed to bringing about more desirable futures. Some qualified success stories include science and technology foresight, getting sustainability challenges onto the social agenda and small-scale, distributed initiatives. Research limitations/implications - Limitations of the scanning process include heavy reliance on publicly available material, prioritization of breadth over depth of analysis and the physical and cultural location of the researchers. Future iterations of the research should go beyond public material, undertake deeper analysis of scanning hits and draw in more non-western and non-English work. Practical implications - The paper proposes four strategies for increasing the influence of futures work: methodological renewal, political engagement, individual capacity building and participatory approaches. Originality/value - The paper uses the recently developed integral meta-scanning framework to provide a novel view of the futures field. The findings will be of value to foresight practitioners that are seeking to influence public policy and sustainability. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/10322