Futures Thinking in Practice

Embark on a transformative journey with the futures thinking in practice course

In this course you will dive into fascinating methodologies like scenario planning and backcasting and learn to navigate complex policy landscapes with a fresh, forward-looking perspective. Through hands-on exercises, insightful case studies, and interactive discussions, you'll acquire practical tools and develop a strategic mindset essential for crafting visionary policies.

This futures thinking course will equip you with a robust understanding of futures thinking principles and their practical application in policymaking. You will walk away with the ability to:

Navigate future trends: Master cutting-edge methodologies like scenario planning and backcasting, transforming how you anticipate and respond to emerging policy challenges.

Develop innovative policies: Harness a futures-oriented mindset to craft policies that are not only responsive to today's needs but also resilient for tomorrow's uncertainties.

Drive organisational change: Learn strategies to cultivate a forward-thinking culture within your team or organisation, positioning you as a leader in innovative policy development.

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Course content

The following content will be covered in this futures thinking course:

Fundamentals of Futures Thinking

• Understanding futures thinking: Definitions, principles, and its importance
• Differentiating between forecasting and foresight
• The role of futures thinking in policy development and innovation

Tools and Methods in Futures Thinking

• Introduction to key methodologies:
  • Scenario planning
  • Backcasting
  • Delphi method
  • Trend analysis

Case Studies and Best Practices

• Analysing real-world examples where futures thinking influenced policy

Developing a Futures Mindset

• Workshops on fostering a futures-oriented culture within organisations
• Techniques for promoting long-term, systemic thinking

Implementing Futures Thinking in Practice

• Strategies for embedding futures thinking into daily policy-making processes.
• Creating a roadmap for ongoing learning and application.

Learning outcomes

At the completion of this futures thinking course, you will have:

• a comprehensive understanding of futures thinking
• an ability to articulate the value of futures thinking in policymaking and explain its fundamental concepts
• skills in applying futures thinking tools to analyse policy challenges and develop innovative solutions
• developed of a futures-oriented mindset
• strategies and techniques for fostering this mindset within your team(s) or organisation, promoting forward-thinking policy development.

Intended audience

This futures thinking course is designed for professionals seeking a foundational understanding of futures thinking in practice. This course is also suitable to professionals who seek skills in innovation, strategy, policy and business improvement initiatives, as well as those who seek community and social outcomes. This course is also suitable for new or existing project teams who are looking to challenge their futures thinking skills as they work on live challenges together.

If you are seeking a stronger foundation in how solutions are conceived and co-created, then you might be interested in our Design Thinking: The Essentials course. It provides a solid grounding in human-centred innovation and creative problem-solving that forms the perfect springboard into futures-oriented practice.

Delivery style

This futures thinking course will be delivered as an interactive workshop consisting of an instructor-led lecture, group and individual activities. This training approach allows participants to work through concepts introduced by the trainer in an application-focused teaching environment. Participants will challenge their understanding of the concepts and consider their application once back in their individual workplace.

This course can be customised and/or delivered in-house. Find out more.

Course prerequisites

This futures thinking course has no prerequisites and is open to all members of the public.

About the presenters

Stephen Rutter is a proud descendant of the Trawlwulwuy people from Tebrakunna country in Trowunna, Tasmania. At 32, he left a successful career managing a business unit that generated $33 million in annual gross revenue for the logistics of all Hollywood productions shot in Australia to undertake an MBA. Following the completion of his MBA, Stephen began working towards improving the education system by bringing curiosity back into the learning experience. He was seconded to Flinders University as an Executive in Residence, where he helped establish the New Venture Institute. 

Most recently, he served as the founding Head of Experience at the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship, a $25 million initiative by the NSW government to foster next-generation entrepreneurship and connect 12 institutions, 700,000 students, and over 200 campuses across NSW. Currently, Stephen runs his own innovation consultancy, The Scale Institute, where he and his team design innovative learning strategies and product development opportunities for a diverse group of clients across Australia, including universities, large corporations, and SMEs, all of whom value learning.

Tish Creenaune is an Associate Director at the Institute for Public Policy and Governance. Tish is a highly regarded and experienced public sector executive with over 30 years working in the education and training, innovation, communities and social policy fields as a policy planner and strategic project manager leading change projects and reform. She has worked closely with senior officers in government agencies and Government Ministers in leading the implementation of policy and delivered on social, innovation, community and educational outcomes through influencing a diverse range of stakeholders.

Tish was the founding Director of the Catalyst Lab Innovation Program, the first NSW education innovation lab leading the exploration, design and scaling of innovative education ideas and incubator for innovation in education, providing a structured process to trial and prototype new ideas. She is a skilled facilitator in design thinking and innovation: developing and customising innovation processes and methodologies to solve for complex problems.

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