Development futures: Using futures thinking to re-evaluate the direction of the development sector

摘要: This paper reports the results of two surveys of delegates conducted prior to and following the Development Futures Conference. The surveys sought to understand delegates’ perceptions on a range of issues, including willingness to reimagine futures and acknowledge uncertainties and unknowns. The paper outlines key findings, contradictions and inconsistencies that emerged from the survey–including what futures thinkers might call a lack of alignment between stated values and actual practice, between acknowledgement of future uncertainties yet confidence in the ability to plan social change, and between everyday actions and visions for a desired future.