Foresight studies and their assessment in the public policy of two Chilean regional development strategies

Abstract

Foresight analysis has been widely recommended as input for public policies in recent years; however, in Latin America, studies regarding its benefits, difficulties, and effects have been scarcely investigated. In this context, and given the importance of public policies and the search for their quality, the objective of this work is to know the assessment of the foresight or future studies as a tool for public policies of two Chilean Regional Development Strategies, from the perspective of public officials and technicians who led the development of scenarios, strategic planning, and their execution. This qualitative research showed that a Foresight study is perceived mainly as a technical-academic instrument capable of uniting, generating new ideas, and legitimizing collective visions, associated with its better contributions at the beginning of the public policy cycle. Although this recognition is transversal in the interviewees, the analysis also showed that the execution in the long term does not manage to deactivate the recurring tension among political management, the political climate, and the problems associated with both the centralist leadership and the capacities installed in the local area, among other findings.

Authors

• Paola Aceituno Olivares Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana del Estado de Chile (UTEM)