Well defined methodologies are perceived as those using clearly defined terms. There are several ambiguities concerning the use of terms by different stakeholders, which add to the lack of clarity on data and analyses. Considering that this project requests for stakeholders from different disciplines to adopt the system thinking in their practices, implies that the development of ‘common language’ is a necessity. Several challenges exist in developing common terminology:

• Development of definitions of terms agreed and understood by different stakeholders
• Addressing language barrier inherent in a multi-national society

• Ensuring that the terminology is used in the right context
• Ensuring that in the future these definitions are adopted and used not just by MFA practitioners, but also from decision makers, the wider research community, future EU funded project and others

MinFuture has set up a Task Force looking at addressing terminology issues and delivering a glossary that will be part of the common MFA methodology. The Task Force will also explore the impact of the identified challenges in delivering a coherent outcome.