Future Policy Survey

An article about the process supported by De Ruijter Strategy, that lead to new foundation for the Armed Forces of The Netherlands.

In order to develop an adequate conceptual foundation for decisions that will be necessary with respect to the future of the Armed Forces, the government of the Netherlands initiated the Future Policy Survey. This project began on 1 March 2008 based on the plan of action approved by Dutch government and on the terms of reference stated in the plan. Its assignment was: 

“To formulate, on the basis of expected long-term developments and possible scenarios and without constraints, policy options with regard to the future ambitions of the Netherlands Defence effort, the appropriate composition and equipment, and the associated level of Defence expenditure.” 
(House of Representatives, 2008 31 243, No. 6)

The project was executed by an interagency team drawn from the ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs, the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Justice and Finance. It was critically assessed by a sounding board of experts, led by former minister of Finance Gerrit Zalm.

In the following two years, the team organized a challenging process. This interdisciplinary, interagency and international exercise in the area of Defence, was unprecedented in the Netherlands. Many Dutch and international experts from both inside and outside the Defence organisation participated. An extensive analysis, scenarios and policy options were published in the Final Report in March 2010. However, as a result, the Future Policy Survey has produced more than what is contained in its final report. From now on, this kind of multi stakeholder, knowledge mobilizing and future orientated thinking will be structurally embedded into the process of policy making in the Defence organisation. On a final conference on 19 May 2010, the results and the Final Report were presented by means of a film (in Dutch).
De Ruijter Strategy supported the project team in this process. We educated the project team in the scenario methodology and De Ruijter Strategy moderated and developed the programs of most workshops with experts.