So just how do ya become a Scenario Planner?

February 11, 2007 10:31 AM

So just how do ya become a Scenario Planner? I've read about and I'm interested in making it a career.

After reading Peter Schwartz's scenario planning book, The Art of the Long View, and finding the Wikipedia entry for Scenario Planning, I'm curious in the process of becoming a Scenario Planner. I'm sure there's no straight path.

posted by badger11 to work & money (7 comments total)

Hmn... could you possibly, you know, link to the wikipedia entry?
posted by SpecialK at 10:58 AM on February 11, 2007

SpecialK, here's what I turned up, along with a list of published works and articles. I doubt there's really a job title as such...this is interdisciplinary research requiring diverse teams, each member having a specialty to contribute. Unless you're another Herman Kahn.
posted by nj_subgenius at 11:21 AM on February 11, 2007

You could try talking to someone at GBN, an SF Bay Area company that specializes in scenarios. I hear they have a good reputation in this area. I don't know how old you are, but they have some fairly young (mid/early 20's) people working there. I'm not certain what their educational history is. It was my impression that they value fairly esoteric backgrounds, so your area of interest should sound interesting over the phone.
posted by migurski at 11:26 AM on February 11, 2007

Oh. Well, then, see also:

Game Theory and Think Tank
posted by SpecialK at 11:33 AM on February 11, 2007

The Wikipedia entry is remarkably reminiscent of a class I took last semester titled "Planning and Policy Analysis," in the Master's of Urban Planning program. Minus the wargames, of course. I'd also recommend solid coursework in statistical analysis.

Urban planning has many subfields, including emergency and disaster planning (think Katrina). Most urban planning scenarios are fairly narrow (how should we develop this corridor?), but having a long view is extremely important, since one's decisions will affect residents decades from now.
posted by desjardins at 3:24 PM on February 11, 2007

I second GBN. I've been toying with this route for a long while and GBN is where I'd probably start. Another option would be a program in systems theory. MIT had a good one.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:50 PM on February 11, 2007

Thanks all.
posted by badger11 at 9:18 AM on February 12, 2007