You believe your organization could benefit from a futures study. Now what do you do?
Whom should you speak to in your organization? How would a futures study fit into your organization’s strategic planning unit, if you have one? What methodology should you choose? How many people and other resources do you need? Can you perform this study with in-house talent or do you need to hire a consultant? How do you determine and justify the cost? How do you develop a study timeline?
We will address these questions and others, drawing upon our experience with three major futures studies conducted by the United States Air Force. Our moderator will introduce the panel members and the futures studies we have participated in. Each panel member will share some lessons learned and invite questions from the audience via index cards, selecting the most common issues to start a discussion of challenges frequently faced by first-time futures study leaders.
Who should attend: Those interested in conducting futures studies for their organizations, especially those leading a study for the first time.
What you’ll learn: Panel members will provide an organizing framework for conducting futures studies, including a survey of methodologies, resources required, potential organizational hazards, and challenges involved in implementing results.
How this new knowledge can be applied: Attendees can tailor the framework presented to suit the given strategic and futures planning needs of their own organizations, guided by the "lessons learned" described by the panelists. This framework will help new futures study leaders organize their thoughts and activities.
Karen W. Currie, defense analyst, Air Force Research Institute, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
John P. Geis II, director, U.S. Air Force Center for Strategy and Technology; associate professor, International Security Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
Adam B. Lowther, defense analyst, Air Force Research Institute, Maxwell Air Force Base; director, Air Force Strategic Study 2020-2030; author, Americans and Asymmetric Conflict; editor, Terrorism's Unanswered Question, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
keywords: methodologies, strategic planning, lessons learned