Policy Stress-testing: facilitation worksheet
Published 29 August 2024
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This worksheet is for the user to adapt and fill in as needed – timings and wording are suggestions only and will need to be tailored to the user’s context. Read other Futures Toolkit resources.
Scoping question:
Participants:
| Time | Activity | Content | Notes | |
| - | - | - | - | |
| -00:30 | Set up | Display the Scoping Question prominently. Prepare slides if using (recommended). In person: notepads, pens, microphone if using, screen. Make sure that you are able to pin flip charts up on a wall. Provide space for each group to work. | If you are working virtually, you may need an introduction to the online whiteboard before you start or send a short “how-to guide”. | |
| 00:00 (5 mins) | Introduction and agenda | Recap the aims of the project and the Scoping Question. Explain how this workshop fits in with any wider futures process. Then introduce the workshop, what people will do and what the outcomes will be. Share the agenda. Share the wind-tunnelling diagram. | Slide 1: Scoping Question. Slide 2: Agenda: introduction to policy stress-testing/wind-tunnelling concept. Introduce scenarios. Introduce or create the policy options being considered. Test the policies against all scenarios. Review the findings and discuss the implications. Slide 3: Wind-tunnelling diagram. | |
| Introduce the scenarios | ||||
| 00:05 (20 mins) | Deliver a short presentation that explains: what scenarios are and what they are designed to do, how this particular set of scenarios was developed, the scenario matrix, the broad structure of each scenario and some of the strategic questions each one throws up, what wind-tunnelling is and how it works | Slides 4–8. Produce a one-page handout for each scenario that shows the scenario matrix and gives the main characteristics of the scenario in bullet points. | ||
| Policy options | ||||
| 00:25 (10 mins) | Remind the workshop participants of the scoping question and display it prominently. If you have done a Visioning exercise, introduce the results. It is worth spending a few minutes at this point having a conversation to ensure participants understand the policy and its objectives clearly. Deliver a short presentation that reminds participants of (or introduces them to) the specific policy or options being tested. If appropriate, ask them to come up with new policy options that appear to be beneficial in one or more scenarios. | Slides 9+. Scoping Questions. Policy options | ||
| Test the policy or policy options against the set of scenarios | ||||
| 00:35 (60 mins) | Decide whether – for each scenario – the different policies are: 1) robust, 2) redundant, 3) in need of modification | Ideally in 4 groups, one for each scenario. Let groups generate new policy options. Remind groups to work with the logic within their scenario – don’t change it so that a policy might work better | ||
| 01:35 (10 mins) | Break | Break for coffee and a stretch if working virtually. | ||
| Review the findings and discuss the implications | ||||
| 01:45 (30 mins) | Produce option/scenario table. Identify most/least successful options. | Groups to report back on highlights (20 mins). Plenary discussion (10 mins) | ||
| Wrap-up and close | ||||
| 02:15 (10 mins) (02:25) | Highlight key options to take forwards. Identify areas for further work. Thank participants. |