The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, Trade and Investment (MoFEPTI), in partnership with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO) for Mauritius and Seychelles, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), successfully convened a three-day Training-of-Trainers (ToT) Workshop on Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking for National Planning, Policies and Budgeting from 11-13 May 2026 in Victoria, Seychelles.
The workshop forms part of the Seychelles National Strategic Foresight Capacities Programme and reflects Government’s continued commitment to strengthening integrated, forward-looking and resilient public sector planning and budgeting systems. It builds on the foundational capacity-building programme launched in 2024, which introduced strategic foresight and systems thinking across government and supported the development of initial methodologies, tools and awareness linked to the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2024-2028.
This year’s programme expands the initiative beyond the original core team from MoFEPTI, bringing together economists, policy analysts, monitoring and evaluation officers, and other focal points from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). These participants are being equipped to serve as national foresight leads, supporting the integration of anticipatory governance and systems thinking into planning, policy development, budgeting and implementation processes across government.
Discussions during the workshop highlighted the urgency of strengthening national planning systems in the context of increasing global uncertainty. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Seychelles remains highly exposed to external shocks including climate change, global economic volatility, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and shifts in tourism and investment flows. In this context, traditional planning approaches alone are no longer sufficient; there is a growing need for tools that enable governments to anticipate change and prepare for multiple possible futures.
Strategic foresight and systems thinking are increasingly recognised as essential approaches for strengthening resilience and improving decision-making in complex environments. For SIDS like Seychelles, these approaches help policymakers understand interconnections across sectors, identify emerging risks and opportunities, test policy resilience under different scenarios, and ensure more adaptive and sustainable development pathways.
Over the course of the workshop, participants engaged in hands-on sessions applying a range of foresight tools to national priorities. Participants also explored how these tools can be integrated into national planning and budgeting processes, including sector strategies, Medium-Term Expenditure Strategy (MTES) frameworks, policy design, contingency planning and results-based management systems.
The training placed strong emphasis on shifting from silo-based approaches to more integrated systems thinking across government. Beyond technical skills, discussions focused on the mindset and institutional changes required to strengthen anticipatory governance and foster a culture of long-term, evidence-based decision-making.
The workshop also marks an important milestone within a phased national programme for 2026. Following the current “Design and Build” phase, the initiative will move into a “Test and Pilot” phase involving selected MDAs, before progressing to a broader national rollout and scale-up of training across government institutions. Expected outcomes of the programme include the institutionalisation of foresight practices within planning and budgeting workflows, improved quality and resilience of sector planning, and the establishment of a sustainable national cadre of trainers capable of supporting implementation with minimal external assistance.
This initiative reinforces Seychelles’ commitment to strengthen governance, improve policy coherence, enhance resilience, and build a more agile and future-oriented public sector capable of navigating an increasingly complex global environment.