Introduction
Looking to the Future

In preparation for the new Planning System in 2008 the Joint Committee introduced a major innovation into its work programme in 2007 - systematic Futures Analysis

The Joint Committee’s work is long-term and strategic, looking twenty or more years into the future, timespans needed to effect major structural change in metropolitan areas.

The Joint Committee has decided to develop further its earlier futures work from the late-1990s as awareness of emerging issues and the potential for change will help develop an increased robustness to its own planning against risks associated with such change.

No one can know the future and therefore this work is not about predicting the future, but about understanding a range of potential futures and their associated risks to the Joint Committee’s Strategic Development Planning.

Futures work, common in government circles and in major global companies, provides that perspective.

Current work is focused around horizon scanning to spot emerging trends, using extensive information gathering techniques from a wide range of sources, whilst other techniques such as structured questions and scenario analysis, are under development with a view to engaging partners and stakeholders.

Partnership and combined capacity are fundamental to delivering the Development Strategy, as has been amply demonstrated by the Joint Committee approach since 1996.

These futures techniques will be used to develop common views of the future and its range of potential risks for and impacts upon the Joint Committee and its stakeholders’ shared agendas.

Underpinning this work has been a move to create a more robust monitoring and risk assessment framework for the Strategic Development Plan. This framework aims for the first time to integrate risk assessment, risk management and spatial planning.


For further information on the work of the Futures Group email  joe.scott@gcvsdpa.gov.uk

David Adams McGilp, Visit Scotland
Mike Chrichton, East Renfrewshire Council
Bob Darracott, Renfrewshire Council
Iain Docherty, Glasgow University
Nick Evans, Scottish Government - Planning
Roddy Fairley, Scottish Natural Heritage
Carol Gilbert, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Alasdair Gregor, West Dunbartonshire Council
Alison Irvine, Transport Scotland
Russell Jones, Glasgow Centre for Population and Health
Pat Kelly, North Lanarkshire Council
Robert Kerr, Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Gerry McAllister, Scottish Water
Jackie McAllister, Transport Scotland
Nick McLaren, Inverclyde Council
Graham Marchbank, Scottish Government - Planning
Ewan Mearns, Scottish Enterprise
Ross Nimmo, British Airports Authority
James Ogilvie, Forestry Commission Scotland
Roger Popplewell, Scottish Government - Housing and Regeneration
Bill Potts, Glasgow City Council
Alan Sim, East Dunbartonshire Council
Iain Urquhart, South Lanarkshire Council

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2009 / 2010

Thursday January 22 (am) - half day session
Introduction to GCVSDPA Futures Project and analysis of key trends

Wednesday February 18 (am), Thursday February 19 (am) and Wednesday March 18 (am) - three half day sessions
Stories workshop
Creating the stories

Wednesday April 1 (am) - half day session
Drafting the content of the stories
Storyboarding

Wednesday April 22 (am) - half day session
Stories validation

Wednesday May 13, Wednesday May 27, Wednesday 10 June and Wednesday June 24 (all am) - four half day sessions
“So what” workshops

Friday August 28 (am) - half day session
Analysis of “So what” workshops

Wednesday 23 September and Wednesday October 28 - two half day session
Resilience workshops

Wednesday December 9 - half day session
Summary session

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  An introduction to Futures work [draft] January 2009   PDF 264 KB

  STEEP Analysis outputs [draft] February 2009   PDF 1.79 MB

  Stories workshop [draft] April 2009   PDF 635 KB

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Scotland's Futures Forum
Scottish Parliament
www.scotlandfutureforum.org/

The Tomorrow Project
www.tomorrowproject.net

Foresight
aims to increase UK exploitation of science
and is part of the Office of Science and Technology in the Department of Trade and Industry
www.foresight.gov.uk/index.asp
www.sigmascan.org/

Prime Minister's Strategy Unit
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/strategy.aspx

International Futures Forum
www.internationalfuturesforum.com

Visit Scotland
Scenario planning
www.scotexchange.net/research_and_statistics/scenarios/scenarioplanning_visitscotland.htm

Infinite Futures
www.infinitefutures.com

Institute for Alternative Futures
www.altfutures.com

EC Foresight Programme
www.cordis.lu/foresight/home.html

Hawaii Research Centre for Futures Studies
www.futures.hawaii.edu/

BBC's Book of the Future
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/onthefuture/A989049

BBC Essential Guide to the 21st Century
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sci_tech/features/essentialguide/index.shtml

Glasgow 2020
www.glasgow2020.co.uk/index.php

Scottish Natural Heritage's Natural Heritage Futures initiative
www.snh.org.uk/futures/Data/index.htm

Future Foundation
www.futurefoundation.net/

Local Futures
www.localfutures.com/Homepage/default.aspx

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