Project LIMinal: building anticipatory capacity in Lithuania, Italy, and Malta

The Commission supported the project Anticipatory Governance: Opportunities for Public Sector Strategic Foresight in Italy, Lithuania, and Malta, aimed to advance anticipatory innovation and foresight capacities. It delivered findings on capacity building, curriculum design, institutionalising foresight, and building communities of practice, offering insights for EU Member States and beyond. 

Context

At the initiation of the project, foresight capacity in the project countries was fragmented and under-developed despite there being pockets of excellence. The project supported the three countries in their efforts to implement anticipatory governance, which encourages structural reforms to uphold European values, bolster competitiveness and assist in achieving sustainable economic growth, resilience and recovery. The initiatives developed by the OECD aimed to strengthen institutional and administrative capacity, including at regional and local levels, to facilitate socially inclusive, green and digital transitions, to effectively address the challenges identified in country-specific contexts and to implement Union law and priorities.

Support Delivered

The LIMinal project supported Lithuania, Italy, and Malta from January 2023 to December 2024. The OECD partnered with the Government Strategic Analysis Center - STRATA (Lithuania), the National School of Administration (Italy), and the Office of the Prime Minister (Malta). Key activities included:

• Conducting country assessments for anticipatory maturity (through fact-finding interviews and focus groups, and, surveys) to identify gaps and opportunities;
• Delivering tailored capacity building programmes to equip civil servants with foresight skills and knowledge.

Additionally, the project developed curriculum modules and maps; piloted foresight interventions in ministries; and facilitated international peer exchanges to address skills deficits and institutional challenges.

Results achieved

The LIMinal project advanced anticipatory governance in Lithuania, Italy, and Malta by assessing institutional capacity and equipping civil servants with tools, knowledge, and skills to integrate foresight into policymaking. Achievements include identifying skills and authorisation gaps, promoting communities of practice, and strengthening a foresight ecosystem through tailored capacity-building programmes. 

• Lithuania advanced its foresight roadmap;
• Italy developed new foresight trainings; and 
• Malta piloted foresight interventions in education and social policy, resulting in the institutionalisation of foresight in ministries.

The project highlighted the importance of addressing the “impact gap” by promoting alignment between foresight practices, strategic agendas, and EU priorities

More about the project

Read the report and the project overview presentation: