Futureye Real solutions to real dilemmas

A strategic analysis of how biodiversity has matured as an issue over time

2010 

The brief: 

Biodiversity is a critical priority for theAustralian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). While CSIRO is full of globally leading specialists, there is value in getting these experts to develop a shared understanding of the biodiversity storyline. CSIRO commissioned Futureye to analyse the history of ideas surrounding biodiversity in order to get across a vast range of information in this space quickly and to inform the organisation’s public position on the issue. 

Our solution: 

Futureye’s social maturation curve model was used to analyse, track and evaluate the social progression of biodiversity over time. 

As such, the model was used as: 

• A collaboration tool: to enable issues specialists to see how their individual roles fit into the whole and build a shared view of critical components of history; 
• A communication tool: to visually represent the development of biodiversity for future presentations and explanations to others who are not as knowledgeable about it; and 
• A trend analysis and forecasting aid: it was used to track/monitor the evolution of biodiversity to anticipate the next phase of issues from a public-policy perspective.
• Futureye applied this multi-phased social maturation curve model to the concept of biodiversity. To do this, Futureye: 
• Facilitated a workshop to clarify the focus of the curve as “the evolution of concern and action around biodiversity globally;” 
• Reviewed leading scientific literature and mainstream media perspectives on biodiversity; 
• Interviewed 10 experts with backgrounds ranging from economics and community development to taxonomy and marine biology; 
• Collated insights and background research into a timeline to track the history of biodiversity; 
• Analysed the timeline based on key events and turning points to delineate the phases of social maturation; and 
• Delivered a presentation with strategic insights from the project for the CSIRO Chief Executive as well as CSIRO’s head of biodiversity. 

The result:

As part of the project, CSIRO furthered its understanding of unique opportunity to shift biodiversity to be higher on the political radar and position it as a nationally and globally significant issue. As part of the Futureye and CSIRO Social Maturation Curve exercise, both organisations recognised: 

• The community-at-large does not understand the implications of biodiversity loss, 
• This issue is not high on the political radar, and
• There is no commitment to pursue a different path than the current trajectory.