Executive Development Programmes

Two Week Scenario Practitioners Training Course

The two-week course consists of an introduction to scenario thinking followed by a tutor-supported investigation of a single topic area.

The key aim is to develop skills in scenario planning in order to make sense of the complexity and ambiguity in the world external to the organisation. Such understanding will enable effective strategic thinking and action.

Our course promotes and supports:

• understanding and thinking about the impact of external factors upon future-oriented organisational strategic thinking and policy development
• an integrative approach to investigation and analysis of complexity and ambiguity in the external environment
• consideration of factors of globalization and localization in relation to contexts of business
• the opportunity to learn and experiment with the use of scenario planning as an action-learning tool.

After the two-week course, you will have had in-depth experience of the process of:

• identifying multiple sources of information and conducting complex information searches
• structuring analysis of complex and ambiguous information and data
• conducting a scenario planning exercise through several iterations, moving from "blue sky" thinking in order to elicit research questions, to development of internally consistent, plausible scenario outlines.

The two-week programme does not involve extensive taught elements of "knowledge delivery". Rather, it is intended to support and facilitate your own critical and reflective learning and knowledge construction. You will develop awareness of diversity and ambiguity, and of the contextual nature of knowledge. The course will challenge your own perspectives on the world and will take your thinking and investigation - outside the realm of developed-world, profit-seeking, organisations.

The two-week course is aimed at those wishing to become scenario practitioners.