Ministries’ work on joint futures review gets underway

The ministries have begun their work on the next futures review. In contrast to previous futures reviews, this review will be released as a single publication. The idea is that this will make the review more effective and easier to use.

Futures reviews carried out once per electoral term have been drawn up since 2002. The reviews assess projections and situations in society and examine issues requiring political decision-making. The aim is to generate public debate and provide information to support political parties and future governments in their government formation talks. Public officials prepare the ministries’ reviews under the leadership of each ministry’s permanent secretary. 

The ministries’ futures reviews have evolved over the years from very different types of publications towards a more uniform structure and style. Since 2014, the ministries’ reviews have been completed simultaneously and published at a joint event. This development has taken place in the spirit of joint government, and the work has been coordinated by the Prime Minister’s Office.

In 2022, we will take a further leap towards a more unified government, publishing the ministries’ reviews as a single publication rather than twelve separate ones. In addition to making information more readily available, the aim is to produce the entire review as an easy-to-use online publication where readers can easily find information on the topics that interest them.

The first step in the work on the joint futures review will be preparing a description of the operating environment. This work will draw on the analysis conducted in the Government Report on the Future, which will be completed soon. The ministries’ joint futures review will be completed over the course of the spring and published in late May or early June. As in previous government terms, the Permanent Secretaries will then formulate joint, concise key messages to support the next Government’s decision-making based on the futures review work. The Permanent Secretaries will publish their key messages in early 2023.

Inquiries: Ulla Rosenström, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 40 826 1437, [email protected]