This paper complements the report “A history of civic space, 2024–2034” which presents the outcomes of the collaborative scenario writing exercise to envisage alternative future scenarios for civic space, using a method called ParEvo. The paper connects the 2023 ParEvo exercise with the 2022 landscape mapping on the crises and trends that impact civic space and the strengths and weaknesses of civil society organisations’ responses to them, identifying ways to strengthen the civil society sector’s future preparedness.