Building strategic foresight capacity of the parliament
UNDP partners with the Royal Institute of Management in building strategic foresight capacity of the parliamentarians critical for fostering an agile, adaptive and anticipatory governance.
As key decision-making bodies, the Parliaments play a vital role in shaping major national policies. Strategic foresight skills are key to helping decision-makers become more agile, adaptive and forward-looking in their approach to decision making and effectively navigate today’s fast-changing complex governance landscape.
In November 2023, the Royal Institute of Management (RIM) and UNDP brought together newly elected members of the National Council (upper house of parliament) for a weeklong workshop on Strategic Foresight for an Agile, Adaptive and Anticipatory Governance.
From systems thinking to horizon scanning, sensemaking, scenario building, visioning concepts and more, the workshop introduced key strategic foresight tools and approaches.
“These tools will help us do our work better in terms of anticipating, analyzing and managing development risks and opportunities from multiple perspectives to build a resilient and sustainable future,” said Dasho Dago Tsheringla, Deputy Chairperson of National Council.
The staff of both National Council and National Assembly (lower house of parliament), including research officers, attended the workshop.
“As research officers and secretariat officials, they do all the groundwork. Being well versed in anticipatory governance and foresight tools will certainly help the Parliament to make well-informed decisions that are resilient and adaptable to future uncertainties and risks,” said Dasho Tenzin Thinley, Secretary General of the National Council Secretariat.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Khurshid Alam said in a world characterized by climate change, digital transformation, demographic shifts, and other global issues, countries must rethink governance models. “We need to move away from reactive policies and towards proactive, future-oriented strategies. Anticipatory governance tools can help parliaments and other decision-making bodies to better understand the potential impacts of their decisions. These tools can provide insights into the potential consequences of different policy options, helping to ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of future generations.”
The workshop was held as part of UNDP’s partnership with the Parliament of Bhutan, aimed at strengthening parliamentary capacity to drive progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also part of joint efforts with the RIM to institutionalize strategic foresight to foster a resilient governance ecosystem.
