Formation | 2004 |
---|---|
Type | Policy think tank |
Location | |
Chief Executive | Wendy McGuinness |
Head of Research | Gemma Coutts |
Website | mcguinnessinstitute.org |
Formerly called | Sustainable Future Institute |
The McGuinness Institute Te Hononga Waka is a non-partisan think tank based in Wellington, New Zealand, working towards a sustainable future, contributing strategic foresight through evidence-based research and policy analysis. Established in 2004 by Wendy McGuinness, [1] the Institute endeavours to undertake research that is independent, innovative and relevant, in a professional manner. Previously the Sustainable Future Institute, it changed its name in February 2012. [2]
The McGuinness Institute produces publications in the form of research reports, think pieces, newsletters, submissions, working papers, and filmed interviews. [3] As a registered charitable trust, the McGuinness Institute is required to produce annual reports detailing its financial statements. [4]
Started in 2008, Project 2058 has the strategic aim of promoting integrated long-term thinking, leadership and capacity building so that New Zealand can effectively explore and manage risks and opportunities into the year 2058. The project is divided into a series of reports, each covering an important aspect of New Zealand's future. [5] Within Project 2058, the Institute maintains a number of other ongoing projects. These are divided into policy projects and research projects.
Project ForesightNZ aims to build public policy capability in New Zealand by encouraging long-term, agile thinking around our uncertain future. Initiated in 2008, ForesightNZ is about conceptualising the broad range of possible futures for New Zealand through up-to-date tools and conceptual approaches used in the field of futures studies. The project is carried out through a number of publications and events. The 2016 ForesightNZ: Untangling New Zealand’s long-term future workshop was a collaboration between the New Zealand Treasury and the McGuinness Institute. The ForesightNZ playing cards were this workshop's primary output. The 2017 WakaNZ: Navigating with foresight workshop was also a collaboration between the McGuinness Institute and the New Zealand Treasury and explored what a preferred future might look like in a post-Treaty of Waitangi settlement New Zealand.
Project ReportingNZ aims to contribute to a discussion on how to build an informed society. ReportingNZ began in 2016 and formed a major project of the Institute's work programme in 2017 and 2018. The significant pieces of work in this project are the Government Department Strategy (GDS) Index and two surveys and accompanying publications on Extended External Reporting (EER) in collaboration with the External Reporting Board.
Project StrategyNZ aims to contribute to a discussion on how to improve strategic decision-making, strategy stewardship and implementation in both the private and the public sector. This project has two parts that look at how New Zealand can improve long-term strategic thinking and strategy stewardship. The first is exploring a national sustainable development strategy for New Zealand, which began in 2006 and led to a workshop in March 2011 called StrategyNZ: Mapping our Future. This workshop in turn lead to the formation of the research project TalentNZ based on a quote from speaker Sir Paul Callaghan about creating ‘a place where talent wants to live’. The second aspect of Project StrategyNZ explores strategy stewardship in the New Zealand public sector and involves the GDS Index and the upcoming Project 2058 Report 15: Strengthening Strategy Stewardship in the Public Service.
Project CivicsNZ aims to build the social capital and empowerment of New Zealand citizens. Work in this project has involved building a constitution for the twenty-first century in the EmpowerNZ initiative, with workshops in 2012 and 2013, and more recently involves discussion around civic education. The CivicsNZ project is also linked to the TacklingPovertyNZ project and included a workshop evening in 2017 and publication of a think piece and working paper in 2018.
Project LivestockNZ aims to explore a new narrative for livestock farming in New Zealand – one that moves towards a more robust and ethically sound way of doing business while at the same time delivering better economic, environmental and social outcomes for all. [6] This project is in its early stages.
Project OneOceanNZ aims to explore New Zealand’s public policy landscape in order to contribute to a wider discussion on how we might best manage our oceans. It looks at public policy solutions around ocean governance as an important long-term issue for New Zealand. [7] The Institute has made a number of submissions as part of this project and also facilitated the formation of the New Zealand Antarctic Youth Council.
Project PublicScienceNZ aims to contribute to a discussion on government-funded science in the hope that New Zealand invests its research dollar well and delivers sustainable outcomes for current and future generations. The project was established in 2012 and is ongoing. PublicScienceNZ also brings together the Institute's previous work on genetic modification policy and regulations, and pandemic management.
Project TacklingPovertyNZ aims to contribute to a national conversation on how to reduce poverty in New Zealand. This project began in 2015 with a workshop in December at the New Zealand Treasury. [8] Since then, the Institute has held six more workshops throughout New Zealand, with the goal of gathering local perspectives on poverty. From this tour, the Institute sent a proposal to Prime Minister Bill English at the end of 2016 concerning the creation of demarcated zones for public policy innovation in three of the areas visited on the workshop tour. [9] The proposal garnered some coverage in the New Zealand media.
Project TalentNZ aims to contribute to Sir Paul Callaghan’s vision of making New Zealand ‘a place where talent wants to live’. Project TalentNZ began in 2011 at a StrategyNZ workshop with Sir Paul Callaghan’s keynote speech. Since then, the Institute has published the TalentNZ Journal and developed a Menu of Initiatives, which illustrates New Zealand’s talent ecosystem and lays out action points for growing, attracting, retaining and connecting talented individuals.
In 2011 the Institute published Nation Dates, a book that presents a timeline of significant events that have shaped New Zealand as a nation. [10] The second edition was published in 2012 and the third edition was published in 2017.
One of the McGuinness Institute's core values is to provide platforms and opportunities for New Zealanders, with a particular focus on amplifying the voices of young people aged between 18 and 25. [11] McGuinness Institute workshops are the primary tool for achieving this. The workshops focus on public policy issues that are strategic, complex, and long-term in nature.
The James Duncan Reference Library is located at the office of McGuinness Institute in Wellington. Named after the former Chair of the Commission for the Future, Professor James Duncan (1921–2001), the library was established to provide a record of long-term thinking in New Zealand. [12] The library and archive house over 4710 books and publications on New Zealand’s future-thinking initiatives and historical development, the theory and practice of future-thinking, strategy development, and national and international perspectives.
The Foresight Institute (Foresight) is a San Francisco-based research non-profit that promotes the development of nanotechnology and other emerging technologies, such as safe AGI, biotech and longevity.
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) is a decentralised agency of the European Union with the task of collecting, analysing and disseminating relevant information that can serve the needs of businesses, governments and specialists involved in safety and health at work. Set up in 1994 by Council Regulation (EC) No 2062/94 of 18 July 1994, EU-OSHA is based in Bilbao, Spain, where it has a staff of occupational safety and health (OSH), communication and administrative specialists. William Cockburn Salazar is the current Executive Director of EU-OSHA. Council Regulation (EC) No 2062/94 was replaced by Regulation (EU) 2019/126 on 20 February 2019.
Futurists are people whose specialty or interest is futurology or the attempt to systematically explore predictions and possibilities about the future and how they can emerge from the present, whether that of human society in particular or of life on Earth in general.
Futures studies, futures research, futurism research, futurism, or futurology is the systematic, interdisciplinary and holistic study of social/technological advancement, and other environmental trends; often for the purpose of exploring how people will live and work in the future. Predictive techniques, such as forecasting, can be applied, but contemporary futures studies scholars emphasize the importance of systematically exploring alternatives. In general, it can be considered as a branch of the social sciences and an extension to the field of history. Futures studies seeks to understand what is likely to continue and what could plausibly change. Part of the discipline thus seeks a systematic and pattern-based understanding of past and present, and to explore the possibility of future events and trends.
Te Manatū WakaMinistry of Transport is the public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the New Zealand Government on transport policy. The Ministry works closely with other government transport partners, including the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to advance their strategic objectives.
Workforce management (WFM) is an institutional process that maximizes performance levels and competency for an organization. The process includes all the activities needed to maintain a productive workforce, such as field service management, human resource management, performance and training management, data collection, recruiting, budgeting, forecasting, scheduling and analytics.
In futurology, especially in Europe, the term foresight has become widely used to describe activities such as:
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is the central public service department of New Zealand, charged with providing support and advice to the governor-general, the prime minister and members of the Cabinet of New Zealand. The department is also charged with centrally leading New Zealand's "national security planning, which includes civil defence." The department's overall area of responsibility is in helping to provide, at an administrative level, the "constitutional and institutional glue" within New Zealand's parliamentary democracy. The department along with the Public Service Commission, and the Treasury constitute the central agencies or public service departments leading the state sector of New Zealand.
The Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 10 December 1999 to 19 November 2008. Labour Party leader Helen Clark negotiated a coalition with Jim Anderton, leader of the Alliance Party. While undertaking a number of substantial reforms, it was not particularly radical compared to previous Labour governments.
The Cawthron Institute is New Zealand's largest independent science organisation, specialising in science that supports the environment and development within primary industries. Cawthron has its main facilities in Nelson. It works with regional councils, government departments, major industries, private companies, and other research organisations throughout New Zealand and around the world. Cawthron employs approximately 300 scientists, laboratory technicians, researchers and specialist staff from 26 countries. It has both chemistry and microbiology labs, and has a major focus on food related testing for food safety and export certification. Cawthron holds IANZ accreditation for a wide range of tests. Its scientists include experts in aquaculture, marine and freshwater resources, food safety and quality, algal technologies, biosecurity and analytical testing.
International Futures (IFs) is a global integrated assessment model designed to help with thinking strategically and systematically about key global systems. It is housed at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures. Initially created by Barry B. Hughes of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver in Colorado, the model is free for public use in both its online and downloadable forms.
The Government Office for Science is a science advisory office in the UK Government. The office advises the Government on policy and decision-making based on science and long-term thinking. It has been led by Professor Dame Angela McLean, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, since 23 February 2023.
LSE IDEAS is a foreign policy think tank at the London School of Economics and Political Science. IDEAS was founded as a think tank for Diplomacy and Strategy in February 2008, succeeding the Cold War Studies Centre founded in 2004. It is led by Professor Christopher Alden and Professor Michael Cox. LSE IDEAS has been ranked as the top European university-affiliated think tank and the number two university-affiliated think tank in the world.
Foresight: The Journal of Futures Studies, Strategic Thinking and Policy is an international bi-monthly journal published by the Emerald Publishing Group. The name connotes the term "foresight" as it is used in futures studies. Established in 1999, the journal provides a powerful framework and set of techniques that allow for understanding trends and drivers shaping the world, exploring alternative futures, setting priorities and formulating strategies for action. Foresight is a valuable source for futurists and foresight practitioners who should be at the forefront of discovering practical ways to manage 21st century life under growing complexity with a long-term perspective. The journal offers a much-needed forum for sound thinking about the future and socio-technological innovations, and focuses on themes and issues shaping the future, new quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as case studies with novel approaches. The journal is edited by Prof.Dr. Ozcan Saritas since 2009.
Jerome C. Glenn is a futurist who serves as the executive director of the Millennium Project. He has been the executive director of the American Council for the United Nations University (1988–2007) and the deputy director of Partnership for Productivity International.
Threatcasting is a conceptual framework used to help multidisciplinary groups envision future scenarios. It is also a process that enables systematic planning against threats ten years in the future. Utilizing the threatcasting process, groups explore possible future threats and how to transform the future they desire into reality while avoiding undesired futures. Threatcasting is a continuous, multiple-step process with inputs from social science, technical research, cultural history, economics, trends, expert interviews, and science fiction storytelling. These inputs inform the exploration of potential visions of the future.
Mathew James Burrows is an American intelligence and strategic foresight expert and author.
Horizon scanning (HS) or horizon scan is a method from futures studies, sometimes regarded as a part of foresight. It is the early detection and assessment of emerging technologies or threats for mainly policy makers in a domain of choice. Such domains include agriculture, environmental studies, health care, biosecurity, and food safety.
David Hayman is a New Zealand-based epizootic epidemiologist and disease ecologist whose general multi-disciplinary work focuses on the maintenance of infectious diseases within their hosts and the process of emergence and transmission to humans specifically related to bats. He has gathered data on the relationship between ecological degradation due to anthropogenic actions, and increased pathogen emergence in humans and animals. During COVID-19 he was involved as an expert in several international collaborations, some convened by the World Health Organization, and was a regular commentator in the New Zealand media about the country's response to the pandemic. He has had lead roles in research organisations at Massey University and Te Pūnaha Matatini and was the recipient of the 2017 Rutherford Discovery Fellowship Award. Since 2014 Hayman has been a professor at Massey University.
Melissa Jannet Clark-Reynolds is a New Zealand entrepreneur, foresight practitioner, and professional company director. She was awarded the Insignia of an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours with the citation "for services to the technology industry".