1st Edition
The Evolution of Strategic Foresight Navigating Public Policy Making
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 traditionally 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. Linking strategic thinking more broadly to futurology, however, it is quite new. Since strategic foresight refers to the practice of generating analyses of alternative futures and strategies, based on available intelligence and foreknowledge, the practice can and should be applied to companies, business sectors, national and trans-national agencies of all descriptions, and to all aspects of public policy making. The author explains its practice in terms of structure, process, and knowledge domains, and examines its methodologies and systems, along with how strategic foresight can be used to produce better knowledge and be more effectively linked to policy making. Using examples from 30 different countries and with access to interviews and workshops involving key experts, The Evolution of Strategic Foresight 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.
Biography
Dr Tuomo Kuosa specializes in strategic foresight, scanning and visualizing futures knowledge into alternative futures and developing futures research methodologies. He is interested in non-linearities, triggering points and path-dependencies in transformation. Kuosa is a founding partner of AlternativeFutures, which is based in Finland, the company merges strategic foresight with co-design, ideation, concept design and fast prototyping, in order to help customers to develop better services, products and strategies. In 2010 Kuosa worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University’s, Center of Excellence for National Security (CENS). CENS is based in RSIS, which has been ranked as Asia’s third best think tank for international politics. Prior to that he has been working in various national and EU foresight projects under Finland Futures Research Centre. Kuosa is internationally well known futurist and esteemed speaker who has written dozens of foresight articles, papers and reports.
'Drawing on the wisdom of the past, The Evolution of Strategic Foresight by Tuomo Kuosa guides the reader through strategic thought to the present and guides to the future'. Jerome C. Glenn, CEO, The Millennium Project 'According to my professional experience Dr Tuomo Kuosa is one of leading experts in the foresight field. His new book will be a key reference in the field of strategic foresight. His new book is really a value adding product with high intellectual capital input. It is also insightful, innovative and professional.' Jari Kaivo-oja Adviser in Foresight R&D, Crisis Management Initiative, New York & Helsinki Offices, Expert and researcher, Finland Futures Research Centre and the Academy of Finland, University of Turku 'A superior guide to futures methodologies, their history and contemporary use, especially in European public sectors.' Dr John P. Geis, Professor; Colonel, retired; Author of the Air Force 2025 and Blue Horizons Studies ’This book by Tuomo Kuosa sheds new light in the growing field of strategic foresight. Through theoretical considerations and practical examples, he emphasizes the usefulness of strategic foresight, with applications from the military to business to academia. The book is well presented and serves as an excellent reference for futures studies in a professional environment.’ José Cordeiro, Director, Venezuela Node, The Millennium Project and Energy Advisor/Faculty, Singularity University, NASA Ames, California, USA
