Meeting of the Futures Initiative’s Core Advisory Group

On July 11, 2023, the members of the Core Advisory Group of the Global Cooperation Futures Initiative met to discuss progress made so far, provide feedback as well as recommendations for the next phases of the project.  

The Core Advisory Group is a subset of the Strategic Advisory Committee, with 7 members, most of whom with experience in strategic foresight, international cooperation and representing various sectors, including academia, civil society organizations (CSOs), and multilateral organizations. They advise on strategic orientations, including key elements of the project’s process, development, and implementation, including the scope of the environmental scan.   

The meeting was opened by Kate Higgins, Cooperation Canada’s Chief Executive Officer, followed by a presentation of the project’s key milestones, challenges to date, and upcoming deliverables by Andy Ouedraogo, Research and Program Officer. 

The group discussed concerns and risks associated with a shorter/longer time horizon and the implications for end users’ ability to make the most out of the insights generated by the Futures Initiative. The consensus was that scenarios tend to occur at a faster rate than originally anticipated due to the pace of (i.e., technological) change, hence scenarios developed in 2035 will be useful for planning for 2030, target of this project.   

They also provided valuable insights on the initial draft of the environmental scan, the research prioritization workshop and the upcoming regional dialogues aimed to capture perspectives in the global south as well as signals of change, emerging issues and perceptions of the future. It was agreed that although the focus and priority of the regional dialogues would be on Southern regions, it would be a missed opportunity not to engage Northern CSO networks with expertise in foresight. 

The meeting ended with a brief overview of the next steps as well as dates for the second advisory committee meeting.