Final stage: Continuing the activity of developing the scenario, according to the type
previously chosen and for the time initially set (Dictionary of sociology, 1993).
The stages mentioned are specific for anticipatory scenarios. Should we “agglutinate”
several scenario models, we will obtain a more detailed construction pattern that has
proved functional in career counselling as well; this will have in mind:
- Defining the subject (event or action) to be written about.
- Setting duration and purpose.
- Identifying main characters.
- Identifying tendencies and interacting factors.
- Discovering aspects difficult to predict.
- Selecting and grouping those forces and characters in opposition.
- Identifying plausible extreme results (positive and negative).
- Projecting possible scenarios.
- Writing alternative scripts.
- Evaluating scenarios.
- Identifying additional investigation needs.
- Identifying quantification and selection techniques for the decisive scenario
from among several possible variants.
Structure and contents of a scenario
Any scenario recounts the logical moments of an action (the beginning, the middle and
the end, or the introduction, the plot, and the conclusion) and will be structured in three
acts (although atypical structures may exist):
Act I
- Initial state and preparation
- Topic and problem to solve
- Emergence of opportunity
- Choosing the solution
- Major challenge or change of plans
Act II
- Progress
- Symbolic scene