At New Paradigm we have
used Future Search as part of a participative process we developed for Dublin
City Council. It offers scope for a cross-section of an organisation or
department to come together and explore in depth common understandings and
develop a shared vision for the future.
Future Search is a conference-based method which
involves a diverse group of stakeholders who come together over a three-day
period. To
quote from the introduction at the Future Search
Network site: "Future search is an innovative planning conference used world-wide
by hundreds of communities and organizations. It meets two goals at the same time, (1)
helping large diverse groups discover values, purposes, and projects they hold in common;
and (2) enabling people to create a desired future together and start implementing right
away. Many sponsors have used future search to transform their capability for co-operative
action in a relatively short time...
"A
Future Search usually involves 60 to 70 people--large enough to include many perspectives
and small enough that the full group can be in dialogue at each step in the process. This
makes possible a shared picture of the "whole elephant." (For larger groups,
conferences may be run in parallel or in sequence.) The optimal length is about 2 1/2
days. When people stay engaged in a task for that long, they are more likely to make a
notable shift in their trust of each other and in their capability for action. The task is
always The Future of _________(fill in the blank)."
A number of accounts and reports of Future Search
conferences have been published. Below are some links to a few
from different sectors:
Commercial
Ikea, the Swedish furniture and
household goods company used Future Search to re-imagine the flow of a product
from design to customer.
Consultants
Sheppard
Moscow offer a full illustrated account of their
Future Search conference.
Every five years
Whole
Foods Market conducts a Future Search to envision their future. Their fourth
conference was held in October 2003 with 135 people attending.
Community
The
Children's
and Young People's Unit in Northern Ireland provide a comprehensive
illustrated report on a Future Search they held in November 2002.
Delmar College
in Texas used Future Search to develop their strategic plan: "What's Your
Dream?"
Healthcare
University Hospital Birmingham,
UK, conducted a Future Search in April 2002. They published some
reactions and a summary in the bi-monthly newsletter.
Erie County Department of Mental Health report on their Future Search.
The theme was, "Healthy Communities, Healthy Lives: Promoting Full
Participation of Erie County Citizens with Mental Illness."
The
Texas
Department of Health held a series of Future Search
conferences in 2000. The theme was
Healthy Communities and the Texas Department of Health: How do we improve the
health of Texas in the Future?
Public Sector
Engage!
InterAct was contracted to use Future Search to look at Media Literacy and Image Education in
Ireland, Netherlands and the UK by the European Commission's DG for Education
and Culture (Multimedia department). You can see their
mind map
in both real and graphically reproduced form.
The
Child,
Youth & Family services in New Zealand held a series of Future Search conferences in
2001. The theme was "Joining and building
alliances with communities to achieve better outcomes for children, young
people and families".
Send mail to richard@new-paradigm.co.uk
with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 12th January 2008
