Overview

Frontline Futures is a boutique consulting firm dedicated to charting pathways through complexity at the intersection of humanitarian aid, international development, and peacebuilding/conflict transformation. In a world increasingly defined by rapid changes and unforeseen challenges, our mission is to provide transformative foresight that empowers organisations to navigate the future with compassion and confidence.

 

At Frontline Futures, we understand that the synergy between humanitarian efforts, development initiatives, and peacebuilding endeavors is critical for creating sustainable and resilient communities worldwide. Our team of experts specialises in leveraging this nexus to deliver comprehensive, innovative strategies that address the root causes of conflict and poverty while promoting long-term development and peace.

 

Approach

Frontline Futures combines futures thinking with foresight. Both are closely related concepts that often overlap in practice, but they have distinct focuses and purposes within the broader field of future studies. Understanding their differences can help organizations and individuals more effectively anticipate, plan for, and shape their futures. Foresight can be seen as a more structured approach that often results in actionable strategies and plans. Futures thinking provides the creative and critical foundation that allows foresight processes to explore a broader range of possibilities. In short, futures thinking broadens the imagination, which foresight channels into strategic insights and actions. Futures thinking is about expanding perceptions of what could happen, while foresight is about harnessing that expansive thinking into practical, strategic outcomes. In practice, futures thinking and foresight often overlap and are used together to inform and enhance strategic planning processes. Futures thinking enriches the foresight process with a wider range of ideas and perspectives, making it more robust and comprehensive, while foresight structures those ideas into actionable strategies for navigating towards preferred futures.

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Through a blend of cutting-edge research, analytical rigor, and deep sectoral expertise, we offer bespoke consulting services designed to equip your organization with the insights and tools needed to make impactful decisions. Whether you're looking to refine your strategic direction, enhance operational effectiveness, or foster innovative partnerships, Frontline Futures is here to guide you through every step of the journey toward creating a more equitable, peaceful, and prosperous world.

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Founder

Dr. Steven Lichty founded Frontline Futures in 2023. He has 25 years’ experience in various sectors across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, including those in post-conflict, transitional, and fragile environments. He works with transformative foresight, futures thinking, organisational development, systems mapping, theory of change, and other qualitative methods of research and evaluation. Steven also co-founded REAL Consulting Group, a boutique firm focused on foresight, research, and evaluation. Additionally, he works with academic and research capacity building with universities in East Africa. He was a Rotary Peace Fellow and Future Fellow with the Association of Professional Futurists. Steven has a PhD in African Studies, where his doctoral research examined religious pedagogies of political socialisation among Kenyan religious institutions. He also has three master’s degrees, including an MPhil in Futures Studies from Stellenbosch University. Steven is currently focused on the nexus of healing-centred, community-led PVE/MHPSS programming, futures unconsciousness/consciousness, and the WHO’s Triple Dividend.