The Evolution of Strategic Foresight

Embracing the theory and practice of strategic foresight and illuminating how different 'schools' of thought regard its role in policy making, Tuomo Kuosa describes how something not hitherto considered an independent discipline, is steadily becoming one. In The Evolution of Strategic Foresight he explains how the practice of strategic foresight has long been closely associated with the military and politics. As a concept in its own right, linking strategic thinking more broadly to futurology, however, it is quite new. Contemporarily, strategic foresight refers to the practice of generating analyses of alternative futures and strategies, based on available intelligence and foreknowledge. This practice can be applied to companies, business sectors, national and trans-national agencies of all descriptions, and to all aspects of public policy making.The theory underpinning the employment of strategic foresight practice is explained in terms of structure; process; and knowledge domains. Strategic foresight methodologies and systems are examined, along with how strategic foresight might be made to produce better knowledge and be more effectively linked to policy making.With reference to examples from 30 different countries and access to interviews and workshops involving key experts, the book will be valuable to scholars; educators; students engaged in strategy and future studies; long-range, public policy and urban planners; analysts; risk assessment experts; and consultants, managers and decision makers in many organisations, public and private.