Ukraine: planning for the long term in the midst of war

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What Ukraine did

Few countries have more reason to focus only on the immediate. Ongoing conflict, economic pressure and rapid global change have understandably constrained Ukrainian policymaking to short-term imperatives. Yet in 2021 the parliamentary Inter-Factional Union "Strategic Foresight for Ukraine" began a multi-year effort, in partnership with UNDP and the UK Parliament's All-Party Parliamentary Group for Future Generations, to embed futures thinking in national governance.

Photo by Maksym Diachenko on Unsplash 

How it Delivered

Early foresight exercises explored Ukraine's long-term trajectories, including the Scenarios Ukraine 2040 project, which mapped four possible futures for the country. The work reached a milestone at a high-level workshop in June 2025, where the effort moved from experimental projects towards institutional design, with experts from Finland, the UK and the Philippines contributing to a national development vision. The union, which has grown to around 30 MPs across parliamentary factions, has set its sights on a roadmap for systemic foresight infrastructure, including proposals for a permanent Parliamentary Committee for the Future and a draft Wellbeing of Future Generations Act to give long-term governance a legal foundation.

What Made it Work?

Persistence and partnership. By anchoring the work in parliament through a cross-factional union, the initiative survived the shocks that might have ended a purely governmental project. International partners brought methods and solidarity, while the direction stayed firmly Ukrainian.

Future Generations Takeaway

If foresight can take root amid war, it can take root anywhere. Ukraine is laying the groundwork for policies that protect present needs and future wellbeing at once, and proving that the two are not in competition. Keeping the future open can be an act of defiance as well as of planning.

This case study is based on one kindly shared with us by the us by School of International Futures (SOIF) and can be found in their digital implementation handbook: 'One Year in Practice: Stories of Global Action for Future Generations'.  We have updated and expanded some case studies with more recent developments and additional sources where relevant.