”Pilkahdus” foresight concept development

Tampere region is designing next generation of regional foresight activities and portal. In this project you will take part in this active development by bringing in your fresh ideas about how to renew foresight work with novel approaches like citizen involvement, gamification, open data and crowdsourcing.

Foresight is a discipline trying to visualize possible futures. This is based on co-operative sense-making of various signals observed and detected by different participants. By identifying desirable and attainable future goals foresight serves decision making. At the regional level foresight is a continuous, interactive and participatory function aiming to involve several different stakeholders. An important element in the recently adopted Tampere region foresight approach has been the utilization of an Internet portal www.pilkahdus.fi as a data center and a forum of interaction. It has both an open section for casual visitors plus a closed work space for more committed users.

Project goals

The project is about a conceptual re-design of the existing regional foresight portal transforming it to the next level logically, functionally and visually. The portal needs to serve as an easily approachable hub for established users and also attract new participants to the regional foresight activities. Therefore it needs to build on the needs and expectations of existing and potential users. Gamification or other enthusiasm inducing development is encouraged without sacrificing the serious setting of the activity.

It is important that the continuously accumulating data can be presented, shared and developed in the portal in a logical manner and in context with topical themes in discussion at any point in time. From the maintenance point it is essential that designated users can provide data and other input to the portal even if the admin is centralized. This prompts the conceptual development to take into account the scaling nature of the portal and its contents.

The project shouldn't just concentrate on the web service development but also to find novel ways to increase the citizen involvement. This project would benefit heavily from evaluation of opportunities related to utilise e.g. crowdsoursing and open data approaches.