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                    OverviewThe Center for Strategic Foresight operates within GAO’s Office of Strategic Planning and External Liaison, playing the important role of analyzing trends that will affect federal agencies and programs now and in the future.

The Center currently has eight non-resident Fellows who are leading experts in foresight, planning, and futures thinking from around the world. Collectively, their wide range of experience and expertise spans government agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions. Learn more about the Center’s current Fellows and team (PDF, 4 pages).TrendsIn 2022, GAO staff worked with experts including the Center’s Fellows to identify 12 trends affecting government and society. Read the report here, check out our press release, or watch the video below:


Trends Affecting Government and Society
      Video URL

          Trends Affecting Government and Society
      Transcript
              Transcript

        
  Description
              Stephen Sanford discusses GAO's Trends Papers.  The Trend Papers will help us inform Congress and agency officials on emerging issues that will likely affect the federal government and society in the next five to 15 years.About the Center for Strategic ForesightImage
              Center for Strategic ForesightGAO created the Center for Strategic Foresight in 2018 to serve as the agency’s principal hub for identifying, monitoring, and analyzing emerging issues facing policymakers. The Center reflects GAO’s mandate to provide Congress with reliable, fact-based information for overseeing federal agencies and programs.

The Center’s inaugural conference in September 2019 included a variety of experts and Fellows and explore two complex and emerging topics affecting the nation’s future security:

“Deep space”— the management of space policy across multiple government and private sector organizations; and
	“Deep fakes”—the growing use of AI-generated “synthetic media” to manipulate online and real-world interactions worldwide.For more information about the conference, read our September 10, 2019 press release.

In 2021, three Fellows from the Center for Strategic Foresight participated in “The Next Century of Accountability: A Conversation with GAO.” At this event, during GAO’s centennial year, Fellows discussed pathways that GAO and other government agencies may take as new and emerging challenges in health, economics and the environment continue to evolve. Watch the panel discussion.Related PagesTrends Affecting Government and SocietyGAO-22-3SP
      
	Published:  Mar 15, 2022


	Publicly Released: Mar 15, 2022
              GAO 2022-2027 Strategic Plan: Key EffortsGAO-22-2SP
      
	Published:  Mar 15, 2022


	Publicly Released: Mar 15, 2022
              GAO 2022-2027 Strategic Plan: Goals and Objectives for Serving Congress and the NationGAO-22-1SP
      
	Published:  Mar 15, 2022


	Publicly Released: Mar 15, 2022
              GAO 2018-2023 Strategic Plan: Trends Affecting Government and SocietyGAO-18-396SP
      
	Published:  Feb 22, 2018


	Publicly Released: Feb 22, 2018
              GAO 2018-2023 Strategic Plan: Key EffortsGAO-18-395SP
      
	Published:  Feb 22, 2018


	Publicly Released: Feb 22, 2018
              GAO 2018-2023 Strategic Plan: Goals and Objectives for Serving Congress and the Nation (Supersedes GAO-14-1SP)GAO-18-1SP
      
	Published:  Feb 22, 2018


	Publicly Released: Feb 22, 2018


  GAO ContactsImage
              Photo of Stephen Sanford**Stephen Sanford**
Managing Directorsanfords@gao.gov
(202) 512-4707

Image
              Sharaelle Grzesiak**Sharaelle A. Grzesiak**spel@gao.gov
(202) 512-4707
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