Trend Embedding foresight inside the core of government decision-making

Summary

Compared with foreign bodies the journal has covered, such as Policy Horizons Canada, Finland's Committee for the Future and the OECD strategic foresight unit, the most distinctive feature of Singapore's centre is the idea of embedding foresight. Many national futures bodies produce reports and recommendations from outside government, whereas the Singapore model roots foresight within the core decision-making structure. Its placement in the Prime Minister's Office gives it access to top decision-makers and neutrality, since it is not tied to any single ministry and can raise uncomfortable scenarios or challenge policy assumptions. A 2025 report for the IBM Center for The Business of Government compared four leading government foresight units and rated the centre the oldest and most institutionalized. It identified sustained senior leadership support, a small multidisciplinary team and an ecosystem integrating training, networks and research as key success factors. The approach reflects a wider movement to make foresight part of how governments plan rather than an external input.