Francisco Sagasti traces the origins of future-oriented exercises, focusing on the emergence of scenario-building techniques. He suggests that as a result of conceptual and methodological advances, and of a multiplicity of experiences covering many years of experience, there is now a rich set of procedures to anticipate the future. He argues that in Latin America these advances have improved significantly anticipatory decision making that are the essence of planning processes. The challenge is now to more closely relate future-oriented exercises to the messiness and immediacy of political events and decision-making. © 2004 Society for International Development.