Senior consultant for NRM and biodiversity, Green economy
consultant
Posted on 13/04/2026
The paper offers one option for evaluating new speculative ventures which are not under control of the public. Using foresight methods instead of past performance can also backfire.
I recently evaluated blended finance funds, the performance of the funds was not as expected due to a set of factors driven from research on management and business development like know your customer. Our subject experts always tried to developed new scenarios for the future under which the facilities would work better. Foresight tools are applied within the existing evaluation system based on evaluation departments or institutions and methods which in most cases lack hard technical / subject-related skills and resources improve the evaluation system. Alternatives to the current evaluation system should be explored like participatory process for policy formulation and implementation like stakeholder groups in specific policy areas providing feedback on specific policies. This way future oriented reflexive and learning systems are created using feedback loops. Here future programming is included by stakeholders. Examples are the Brazilian policies for family agriculture or nutrition which are shaped by stakeholder commissions at all levels.
RE: From Hindsight to Foresight: How Evaluation Can Become Future-Informed
Germany
Ines Freier
Senior consultant for NRM and biodiversity, Green economy
consultant
Posted on 13/04/2026
The paper offers one option for evaluating new speculative ventures which are not under control of the public. Using foresight methods instead of past performance can also backfire.
I recently evaluated blended finance funds, the performance of the funds was not as expected due to a set of factors driven from research on management and business development like know your customer. Our subject experts always tried to developed new scenarios for the future under which the facilities would work better. Foresight tools are applied within the existing evaluation system based on evaluation departments or institutions and methods which in most cases lack hard technical / subject-related skills and resources improve the evaluation system. Alternatives to the current evaluation system should be explored like participatory process for policy formulation and implementation like stakeholder groups in specific policy areas providing feedback on specific policies. This way future oriented reflexive and learning systems are created using feedback loops. Here future programming is included by stakeholders. Examples are the Brazilian policies for family agriculture or nutrition which are shaped by stakeholder commissions at all levels.