Effort Aims to Empower America’s Future
Washington, D.C. – March 1, 2024 – Today, World Futures Day, the Baldrige Foundation proudly celebrates the launch of the Federal Foresight Advocacy Alliance (FFAA), a new collective endeavor of leading foresight and strategy experts dedicated to the creation of a U.S. Office of Strategic Foresight to navigate the 21st century’s myriad threats, complexities, and opportunities. FFAA's mission aligns seamlessly with the Baldrige Foundation’s emphasis on building resilience and long-term success across American organizations.
In an era defined by rapid change, uncertainty, and complexity, the need for proactive governance and decision-making is paramount. The absence of dedicated, integrated mechanisms for anticipatory governance at the highest levels across the entirety of the U.S. government presents significant challenges to national resilience, global competitiveness, and strategic advantage. The establishment of a U.S. Office of Strategic Foresight would equip government leaders with robust capacities to enhance American resilience, adaptability, innovative capacity, and ability to lead through change. FFAA advocates for creating such an office in the Executive Branch, either in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or in the White House.
"At the heart of our mission at the Baldrige Foundation lies a commitment to advancing performance excellence and resilience across all sectors, including the federal government," remarked Al Faber, President and CEO of the Baldrige Foundation. “The Department of Commerce, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program recently announced the results of an extensive external review of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and launched the 2024 award cycle. The redesigned award program features a streamlined, results-focused evaluation process using a tailored set of new Baldrige Award criteria derived from the literature on organizational resilience and the Baldrige Excellence Framework®.
"Resilience goes beyond mere recovery,” Faber continued. “It necessitates proactive anticipation and preparation for future challenges. The Federal Foresight Advocacy Alliance's effort to establish an Office of Strategic Foresight aligns perfectly with this vision."
“The time is now to make this happen. Our nation requires leading edge capacities to formulate strategy and policy that align with our long-term objectives and that can deliver better futures for Americans. Without it, we are no doubt risking our national competitiveness and our domestic wellbeing. This is an urgent national need.”-Kara Cunzeman, one of three founding Co-Chairs of FFAA, along with Robin Champ and Suzette Brooks Masters.
The Baldrige Framework has long served as a beacon for organizations striving for excellence and resilience. With strategic foresight emerging as a linchpin for organizational resilience in the 21st century, the Foundation recognizes the importance of supporting initiatives like the FFAA. Al Faber's role on the FFAA’s Board of Advisors underscores the Foundation's commitment to advancing strategic foresight as a vital component of organizational success.
“We are heartened by the support we’ve received from the Baldrige Foundation and from the many foresight experts from within and outside the government who feel the time is now to stand up a dedicated office and who support this initiative. FFAA is a collective effort, seeking to leverage the expertise and partnerships of the foresight community in the United States to make progress on this important issue now,” commented Suzette Brooks Masters.
For more information on the Federal Foresight Advocacy Alliance (FFAA), visit their website where you can find their Case Statement. You can also follow them on LinkedIn to stay up to date on how this effort is progressing
