Futures Framework

The Futures Framework is a register of consultants and researchers that can be called upon by HM Government (HMG) Departments and Agencies and UK public bodies to support conducting work to think strategically about the long term future (herein called Futures) and further developing these capabilities in government. The key areas of expertise needed are: • Services for describing and explaining the characteristics of a policy area (including trend and driver analysis, and systems analysis) or issue (including associated risks and opportunities) • Services for describing what the future might be like • Services for developing and testing policies and strategies, and related decisions, particularly for their robustness and resilience • Services for developing Futures capability within the Civil Service (including skills related to the above activities) • Services for convening or engaging a diverse range of stakeholders (citizen and expert voices) in futures work • Services, expertise and data gathering and visualisation related to specific fields (including, but not limited to, specific scientific and technological, social and economic fields) The demand for Futures work, and other ‘fields’ that can help people to think about the long term future (e.g. systems analysis, present-day scanning, decision making support), in government is currently outstripping the capacity of the government’s expertise. The Futures Framework will assist policymakers to quickly and with minimal cost identify and procure Futures and related services and capability development opportunities. The Framework will be used by government departments and agencies to support a range of activities, including, but not limited to, the techniques in the Government’s published Futures Toolkit.