This Technical Support Instrument (TSI) project, funded by the European Union, was carried out with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of the Taoiseach, and the OECD. Running from 2021–2023, it aimed to strengthen whole-of-government policymaking capacity by embedding strategic foresight into Ireland’s public service, with the broader goal of improving policy coherence and readiness for the future.
The project combined framework design, training, and applied foresight cases. Together with government partners, we co-designed an integrated policy development framework supported by a foresight toolkit, and produced an assessment report, a strategic foresight action plan, and a training curriculum tailored for government use.
Capacity building was central: we delivered workshops for senior leaders, foresight practitioners, and policymakers, while also facilitating communities of practice to sustain peer learning. To demonstrate foresight in action, we developed cases on demographic change, Ireland’s enterprise mix, and data flows — all feeding into the National Risk Assessment.
Over 100 public servants were trained to apply foresight methodologies directly to policy challenges.
The project supported cross-government exchange and sharing of good practices, reinforcing coherence in long-term policymaking.
A sustainable framework was created to link foresight with strategic planning and public service reform, contributing to national strategies such as OPS2030 and CSR2030.
