Issues Workshops (Scenarios Analysis Continue)

The third stage of developing scenarios analysis is "Issues Workshops"
These workshops have the overall purpose of forcing the teams' thinking into the future by:

• testing the areas of the 'natural agenda' that are likely to have a crucial role in shaping the future
• understanding the limits to which key factors may be stretched
• debating key issues about which conflicting evidence has emerged in the interviews
• identifying and exploring the potential interaction between key factors emerging from the synthesis
• drawing out the implications for the client organization of the threats and opportunities emerging from the process, leading to the identification of strategic option
• identifying further areas where additional research is needed

The number of Issues Workshops needed will depend on the scope and complexity of the interview material. Issues Workshops are usually focused on related groups of issues under a generic heading, e.g. economic performance, marketing, culture, environment, technology, human resources, trading restraints, etc.

It is useful to plan the sequence of workshops so that the external issues lead on to market issues and both end with internal issues, e.g. starting with economic issues and finishing with internal self-renewal.

The fourth stage of developing Scenarios Analysis will be covered in next post.