Course Description: This course prepares diplomats and policy leaders to apply scenario planning techniques in the face of global complexity and uncertainty. Participants will explore the strategic value of long-term thinking, develop multiple future pathways, and use structured foresight to shape resilient foreign policy strategies.
Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours)
Proficiency Level: Advanced
Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency
Course Objectives:- Understand scenario planning and its application in diplomacy.
- Identify driving forces shaping global change and uncertainty.
- Construct plausible and diverse future scenarios.
- Apply the 'axes of uncertainty' and 'four-quadrant' method.
- Assess risks, opportunities, and implications of alternative futures.
- Develop strategy options based on scenario narratives.
- Facilitate scenario-based dialogue among diplomatic stakeholders.
- Integrate scenario planning into strategic policy documents.
- Communicate scenarios effectively through writing and visualization.
- Produce a future-ready scenario planning toolkit for missions.