[Summary] Pacific foresightXchange - Resilience for New Realities

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Summary of the workshop Pacific foresightXchange – Resilience for New Realities 4-6 November 2015 PIFS Headquarters, Suva, Fiji

Background Strategic foresight is rapidly emerging as an essential addition to conventional strategic thinking. Whereas classical planning methods deal with incremental and unambiguous change against predictable and familiar futures, strategic foresight takes uncertainty, unpredictability and interdependency as constants in policy implementing environments. This shift in perspective prepares governments and public administrations to be more resilient and adaptive to new realities. 1 Strategic foresight encourages policy planners to design flexible plans by exploring alternative futures, identifying emerging strategic opportunities and risks in different scenarios, testing the resilience of existing strategies under different scenarios, and prototyping integrated and innovative policy responses. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are at the frontline of adapting to new realities, including that of climate change, global mobility and a changing international aid scene. But many struggle to do so effectively with limited resources or in the midst of huge public debt. Resilience, adaptation and capitalizing on opportunities are at a premium, particularly when emerging disruptions are becoming ever more difficult to predict, plan for and adjust to. For this reason, SIDS have much to benefit from foresight, resilient strategies and responsive structures.

Overview The Pacific foresightXchange was held in Suva, Fiji from 4-6 November 2015 and was attended by 35 participants representing seven Pacific Island countries, development and donor agencies, and regional institutions. Organised by the UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence in partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and with support from the UNDP Pacific Centre and UNDP’s Innovation Facility, the Pacific foresightXchange coincided with a period when many Pacific Island countries were revising or preparing new development strategies and started the process of localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Participants in action at the Pacific foresightXchange

GCPSE advocates a wider interpretation of ‘resilience’ than most international development agencies are guided by: https://www.unteamworks.org/node/512020 1

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