Future Search

Future Search is a highly structured planning meeting that ideally lasts for 16 hours over 3 days. The aim is to attempt to get the "whole system" in the room. The event focuses on the future and common ground rather than conflicts and problems and stresses the importance and validity of different kinds of knowledge that are brought by stakeholders.

Advantages

The group begins to understand the perspectives of others by hearing what the group thinks AND feels about the issue.
If the stakeholder balance is managed correctly a rich mixture information is brought to bear on the issues being discussed.
A future search leaves a legacy after the event because it encourages self-management and personal responsibility for action during and after the conference.

Disadvantages

Needs commitment to ensure that all key stakeholders participate.
Lots of time to organise, particularly to make sure that stakeholder balance is effective.
Needs coherent follow-up to make sure that actions happen and momentum is maintained.
The issue has to be central to the group convened - without this is won't work.

When to use

When you need to create a shared vision and practical action plans among diverse parties.
If you want to devise a plan and gain commitment to implement a vision or strategy that already exists.
Where no coordinating structure or shared vision exists and there is a need to initiate rapid action on complex issues

Future search is a planning meeting that helps people transform their capability for action very quickly. The meeting is task-focused. It brings together 60 to 80 people in one room or hundreds in parallel rooms.

Future search brings people from all walks of life into the same conversation - those with resources, expertise, formal authority and need. They meet for 16 hours spread across three days. People tell stories about their past, present and desired future. Through dialogue they discover their common ground. Only then do they make concrete action plans. The meeting design comes from theories and principles tested in many cultures for the past 50 years. It relies on mutual learning among stakeholders as a catalyst for voluntary action and follow-up. People devise new forms of cooperation that continue for months or years. The principle exponents of this methodology Sandra Janoff and Marvin Weisbord. The following description of a future search methodology has been taken Janoff and Weisbord’s website.

Future Search Methodology

(Usually four or five sessions each lasting 1/2 day)

Day 1, Afternoon

Focus on the Past

People make time lines of key events in the world, their own lives, and in the history of the future search topic. Small groups tell stories about each time line and the implications of their stories for the work they have come to do.

Focus on Present, External Trends

The whole group makes a "mind map" of trends affecting them now and identifies those trends most important for their topic.

Day 2, Morning

Focus on Present, External Trends
Stakeholder groups describe what they are doing now about key trends and what they want to do in the future.

Focus on Present
Stakeholder groups report what they are proud of and sorry about in the way they are dealing with the future search topic.

Day 2, Afternoon

Ideal Future Scenarios

Diverse groups put themselves into the future and describe their preferred future as if it has already been accomplished.

Identify Common Ground

Diverse Groups post themes they believe are common ground for everyone.

Day 3, Morning & Early Afternoon

Confirm Common Ground

Whole group dialogues to agree on common ground.

Action Planning

Volunteers sign up to implement action plans.

Example

Salford’s local strategic partnership is planning to embark on a future search early in 2008.