The world in which associations operate is changing fast, and your organization’s leaders need to understand the external forces that could make or break its future success. Scanning the environment for strong, weak, and emerging drivers of change is critical to leading and managing your organization—or your corner of it. A collection of ASAE resources, powered by evidence-based research conducted by the ASAE Foundation, is designed to help you and your board envision and plan for the future while monitoring and acting in the present.

What Is ASAE ForesightWorks?

ASAE ForesightWorks is a deliberate, evidence-based research initiative and emerging line of products designed to be your partner in environmental scanning and planning for change. The program will provide you with a continual stream of intelligence about anticipated trends, tools to help you use the strategic intelligence in your work, and opportunities to engage.

The program’s mission is to empower you to create a culture of foresight in your association—not only by providing major trend analyses, but also by giving you and your volunteer leaders the tools and processes you need to practice scanning on your own.

Learn why associations need to practice foresight:

ASAE ForesightWorks Resources

The research identifies drivers of change important to associations. Each is described in an action brief that examines its implications and offers ideas for steps associations can take to respond to the trend. The ASAE ForesightWorks Complete Collection includes the action briefs and a user’s guide.

The drivers of change are organized in six thematic areas. Click to learn more about each driver:

• Content, Learning, and Knowledge
• Data and Technology
• Demographics and Membership
• Economic Conditions
• Society and Politics
• Workforce and Workplace

Other resources guide you through the research and help you apply it in your organization:

• Designed for past Complete Collection purchasers, the 2022 ASAE ForesightWorks Just the Updates collection is just what it sounds like—just the updates released this year.

• The ASAE ForesightWorks User’s Guide provides direction for practicing foresight and exploring the action briefs with worksheets and other materials.
• Why Associations Need Foresight is a research brief that introduces the program and suggests ways to think about and apply intelligence about drivers of change and conduct future-focused scanning on your own.
• A sample selection of three action briefs, free to ASAE members, covers Algorithms and Rights, Hybrid Meetings, and A World Reshaped by COVID.
• Drivers of Change: Summaries and Forecasts, free to ASAE members, provides an introduction to all of the drivers of change. It collects the first page—including summaries, forecasts, and key uncertainties—of all the action briefs.
  
  

ForesightWorks Live

ForesightWorks Live is a series of facilitated virtual discussions designed to explore how associations are addressing the drivers of change in their organizations.

Watch the recorded ForesightWorks Live discussions:

• Fast Data in the Time of Covid-19 and Beyond
• The Shifting Environment for Content 

Learn More

FAQs. Find answers to the questions we hear most often.

For more information, contact:
ASAE Foundation Research
research@asaecenter.org
202.626.2753