How Foresight Could Strengthen Governance in Latin America

The Dialogue’s long-term global trends program aims to increase Latin America’s exposure to the growing use of foresight and strategic thinking, in order to improve decision-making today. In cooperation with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Dialogue’s initiative provides governments, banks and corporations, universities, think tanks, and other institutions in Latin America fresh, continued access to vital information and analyses on relevant trends and future scenarios, with the goal to strengthen the region’s own capacity to conduct and disseminate similar studies.

This newsletter from the Global Trends Project seeks to identify how foresight could strengthen governance in Latin America. 

Achieving Better Outcomes in Latin American Countries

Foresight analysis also helps to identify strategic areas for building a better future. Four goals are worth mentioning: 

• Attain social inclusion.
• A transformation of the productive base.
• A new role for the State and new market regulations.
• Increased national and international dialogue.

Main findings from our report include the following: 

• Politics has a critical role in communicating a new vision, identifying main challenges and signaling a road ahead. 
• The analysis of global trends, drivers and game changes provides political actors with the tools to articulate a narrative and a long-term strategy of action. 
• The spread of ideas about the futures helps to gain political support. Citizens should be consulted and they should have access to mechanisms that influence decision-making. 
• A seed must be planted in all major government institutions, private sector and labor organizations, universities and regions. The aim is to disseminate new ways of thinking about the future. 
• A good organization should include members from the executive branch (presidential or prime minister level, and ministries), Parliament, regions and provinces, universities and companies. Canada, Australia, France and Singapore offer useful examples for Latin America. Finland is one of the best examples. 
• Latin American countries should create a unit or agency alongside the presidency. This central government agency must be organized as an advisory body rather than a ministry. 
• Public-private task forces are more stable and less exposed to sudden changes that occur when ministers are removed or a new president is elected. Public-private engagement could provide ongoing advice and proposals. 

Learn more about the Dialogue's work on Global Trends