Tuesday 7 December 2010

Scenario Planning U2S7p87

Today I have been...

Reading about Scenario Planning

Why?

Required

So What?

Scenario planning is a way to strategically analyse the future, rather than just the current picture. They are a recognition of one or more possible outcomes, not a prediction.

It is particularly appropriate in a rapidly changing external environment. Extrapolation from the past and other traditional planning methods are not likely to produce a reliable forecast under conditions of uncertainty.

Advantages:-
Less subjectivity (than traditional methods)
Capturing detail
Accurate Prediction

How to do it. (Schoemaker (1995):-

(see p89)
  • Define the scope
  • Identify key external drivers (maybe map on a 2x2 grid, certainty and importance)
  • Construct initial scenarios (Schoemaker 1995 says 2 is suitable, though more can be used) - they should collectively bound the perceived range of possible futures, eg
    • best & worst case
    • extreme worlds
  • Identify and develop scenario themes
  • Further research
  • Developing and evaluating strategies
Characteristics of a good scenario (p91)
  • Relevance
  • Internal consistency
  • Archetypal (ie not variations on a theme, but unique future)
  • Non-transient (scenario should describe a long-term state)

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