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Table 2 A Framework to classify impacts of foresight activities

From: Evaluation of technology foresight projects

Function

Time lag

Targeted and/or unintended impact

Informing

Immediate

• Increased recognition of a topic area

• Awareness of science, technology and innovation among players, creating database

• Awareness of systemic character

• Training of participation in foresight matters

• New combination of experts and stakeholders, shared understanding (knowledge network)

Intermediate

• Articulation of joint visions of the future, establishing longer-term perspectives

Ultimate

• Integrate able new actors in the community

Counselling

Immediate

• Make hidden agendas and objectives explicit

Intermediate

• Devising recommendations and identifying options for action

• Activate and support fast policy learning and policy unlearning processes

• Identify hidden obstacles to the introduction of more informed, transparent, open participatory processes to governance

Ultimate

• Influence on (research/policy) agendas of actors, both public and private (as revealed, for instance, in policy strategies and programmes)

• Incorporate forward-looking elements in organisations’ internal procedures

Facilitating

Immediate

• Effective actions taken

Intermediate

• Formation of action networks

• Creation of follow-up activities

Ultimate

• Adoption of foresight results in the research and teaching agenda of organisations; Foresight spin-off activities in various disciplines

• Improved coherence of policies

• Cultural changes towards longer-term, holistic, and systemic thinking

  1. Source: [46]