Commissioned by the Portuguese government and delivered with the OECD, this project (2022–2023) supported PlanAPP – the Centre for Planning and Evaluation of Public Policies in becoming a core competency centre for foresight within Portugal’s public administration. The goal was to provide an emerging framework and practical guidance to disseminate strategic foresight across government, enabling more proactive and prospective policymaking.
The work combined research, benchmarking, and applied foresight design. We conducted international comparisons and case studies, and structured guidance across four action areas: Framing, Building, Fine-tuning, Doing.
The project also identified eight foresight functions relevant for decision makers, along with a blueprint of barriers and enablers for foresight uptake in government. It proposed systemic elements for sustained practice — including demand and mandate, skills and capabilities, institutional arrangements, policy cycle integration, and feedback and learning loops.
To anchor foresight in real policy challenges, we applied the framework to priority topics such as the green and energy transition and equity and social cohesion, while also outlining five foresight opportunities for PlanAPP: strategy and roadmap, ecosystem scan, targeted interventions, and international exchanges.
A structured set of tools and options to help institutionalize foresight in Portugal’s public administration.
PlanAPP’s role as a cross-government competence centre for foresight was reinforced, providing a foundation for long-term commitment.
The project offered both a practical roadmap and systemic building blocks to ensure foresight is embedded in decision-making and public service reform.
