Anticipation

What do we mean by Anticipation and why is it helpful?

Thinking about desirable and undesirable futures. Asking the 'what if' questions.

Getting started with Anticipation

Start by sitting down and working through the self-reflection questions below. Certain questions may require further exploration. This may be in the sense of linking in with other dimensions (see below) or through the use of tools and processes to address any issues that the reflection has surfaced.

Potential questions to ask

What beneficial project impacts are likely and possible?
What negative project impacts are likely and possible?
What are potential strategies for preventing or mitigating negative impacts for the public or environment?
What kinds of development pathways do intended research outcomes support or prevent (i.e. disrupt)?

How these questions can be addressed

Define desirable societal impacts and outcomes (social, environmental, ethical, and economic)
Identify problematic societal impacts and outcomes
Assess risks of research and innovation and consider potentially unintended and unknown consequences
Identify alternative routes to beneficial impacts and outcomes

Further aspects to consider are presented below.

Potential methods and tools to engage with this dimension

Identify future possibilities and potential scenarios
(Future thinking tools)

Develop and clarify vision for a project or topic
(Vision development)

Develop a clear implementation pathway
(Programme Logic)

Identify and clarify the role of the next and end users at different stages of a project
(Impact Planning Tool)

Picture a desirable future and identify steps to achieve it
(Visioning and Backcasting)

Develop awareness of what is happening in a new topic area
(Foresighting / Horizon scanning)

Explore future possibilities, as a basis for discussion and opening up thinking
(Scenario Building)

Collect opinions on a particular research question or specific topic, to gain consensus
(the Delphi Method, see case study for an example of this method in practice)

Animal Ethics
(See your local animal ethics committee; if you are in New Zealand and do not have an animal ethics committee, you can visit the MPI page, https://www.mpi.govt.nz/animals/animal-welfare/animals-research-testing-teaching/, or email animalwelfare@mpi.govt.nz)

Human Ethics
(See your local human ethics committee)

Linking into different dimensions and next steps

Each dimension is not a separate area to work through as a tick-box process. Instead, they should all flow into each other. Working through each of the dimension's self-reflection questions will help you think about the connections you may have missed.

An example of linking anticipation into a different dimension.

When considering the positive and negative impacts of your programs and innovation, one question that could arise may be “What could be the unintended consequences on Māori?" Then you may think that maybe you should not be the one to answer this question. This would then lead you onto the dimension of inclusion, and to start thinking about involving diverse stakeholders and knowledge.

Explore other dimensions

Inclusion

Reflexivity

Responsiveness

Social Equity and Justice

Openness and Transparency

Back to Homepage / Dimensions Table