UNDP recognises foresight as a key element of the UN’s Quintet of Change and an essential part of strategic planning, both within the organisation and in collaboration with partners.
Foresight is not about predicting the future. It is about exploring multiple plausible futures, challenging the assumptions behind today’s decisions, and developing strategies that remain effective as circumstances evolve.
To support colleagues, governments, policymakers, and development partners, UNDP’s Strategy and Futures team has developed the Foresight for Strategic Planning Toolkit. The toolkit provides a practical framework for integrating foresight into government and development planning processes.
It introduces a wide range of proven foresight methods, including horizon scanning, scenario development, implications analysis, visioning, backcasting, wind tunnelling, and stress testing. These approaches help organisations identify emerging trends, detect weak signals, engage diverse stakeholders, understand complex change, and prepare for multiple possible futures.
The toolkit also offers practical guidance for testing the resilience of strategies, identifying risks, strengthening long-term plans, and adapting policies as conditions change. By embedding foresight into planning, organisations are better equipped to make informed decisions today while remaining prepared for tomorrow’s uncertainties.