Innovative Approaches to Strategic Planning and Financing for the SDGs

Mahe, Seychelles: On the 19th of February 2024 the Government of Seychelles represented by the Minister of Finance, National Planning and Trade, Mr. Naadir Hassaan launched a weeklong workshop for government officials to build their capacity to use ‘Foresight and Systems Thinking for Strategic Planning and Financing for the Sustainable Development Goals’.  The workshop is facilitated by the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles in collaboration with United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

The Government of Seychelles has identified strategic foresight and systems thinking[1] as two innovative approaches that can help make the most of limited resources and support the necessary investment to build the country’s resilience, from energy transition to climate action to economic transformation, while strengthening the social contract, the education and health systems. Twenty-three representatives from the Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade were trained in early February by the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office, UNITAR and UNDESA to form a pool of ‘trainer of trainers’ in strategic foresight and systems thinking that will sustain the knowledge transfer in the future. It is these ‘trainer of trainers’ this week who will work in partnership with the UN to build the capacity of 220 policy makers (PSs, CEOs, Finance Officers) from 87 public entities in these innovative approaches. Following the workshop foresight and systems thinking will be integrated in the strategic analysis and prioritization that informs sectoral plans and the budget process in Seychelles. 

In his speech for the occasion, Minister Hassan highlighted the importance of this workshop, given the government’s mission to enhance and boost the capacity of public servants to ensure a higher level of service delivery to the general population. “We gather with a shared vision to reinvigorate and refine our internal policies and coordination strategies, aligning them with the priorities of the National Development Strategy and Sustainable Development Goals. This workshop is not just a formality; it is a commitment to empower officials from line Ministries, equipping them with the skills to navigate the intricacies of planning and budgeting."

"By embracing systems thinking and strategic foresight, our aim is to fortify collaboration across Ministries for more effective resource allocation and short- to long-term planning. Let’s not see this just as a gathering of individuals; it is a convergence of minds committed to catalyzing positive change.”

In this way, it is anticipated that embracing systems thinking and strategic foresight will contribute to a more efficient and coherent framework where public finances flow in the same direction avoiding duplication. Importantly, emerging opportunities and risks will be integrated to address the swiftly evolving regional and global development landscape that impact on the citizens of Seychelles.

Find out more here.

[1] Strategic foresight is a “Structured and explicit exploration of multiple futures in order to inform decision making”. Systems thinking focuses on the relationships between the different elements of a system from various dimensions (sectors, levels, space, time), and the perspective of actors (individuals, institutions, collectives), identifying the trade-offs and synergies that form together the political economy of a system. By doing so, Systems Thinking enhances financing targeting efficiencies, reduces transactions costs, and ensures intersectoral coordination and multistakeholder buy-in.

Media Contacts:

Ministry of Finance – Lindy Vital | + (248) 4 382005 | lindy.vital@finance.gov.sc

UN RCO – Janee Connery | + (230) 55009908 | jeshta.connery@un.org