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Q & A About Open Space Meetings
What is distinctive about an open space meeting?
- People address only the issues they identify as most important
- Up to 1,500 people can take part
- People form their own agenda once they arrive at the meeting, in a process taking no more than 1.5 hours
- People leave the meeting with most of the meeting's written
proceedings in their hands
- People control their own work, in a highly democratic process
When is an open space meeting appropriate?
- When many different people have parts of the knowledge, experience, and responsibility needed to solve a complex problem
- When the people present have a passion for solving the problem
- When the people present can make decisions and take actions that will bring about change
When is an open space meeting not a good idea?
- When information or knowledge must be transferred from one set of people (experts) to another (learners)
- When participants have been mandated or "designated" to attend
How long does it take to have an open space meeting?
- Three days for comprehensive results and an integrated plan
- Two days for extensive discussion and the development of valuable, workable strategies to address the topic
- One day for useful discussion of the key topic
What are the origins of open space meetings?
- They are rooted in the problem solving styles of indigenous people, particularly West Africans and Native Americans.
- Harrison Owen, organization theorist and author from Maryland, is the "dean" of open space (301/469-9269). He began intensive testing eight years ago. He considers the idea public property, and encourages its wide use by others. He has produced a simple "how to" book that can be ordered by calling him. Harrison Owen and his fellow experimenters committed themselves to designing a low-cost, high-productivity meeting model that would support the kind of valuable learning people do with each other at the coffee breaks and meals at most conferences.
What is the proof that open space meetings work?
- Open space meetings have already succeeded with 5 to 1500 participants, on each continent, in multi-lingual groups.
- Harrison Owen and his many colleagues report that open space meetings always succeed if they include people who have chosen to come together to address an issue because they care deeply about it, and if those people can do something about the issue.
- Experience: The Kentucky Environmental Education Council recently used conducted an open space meeting with key stakeholders. Contact Jane Wilson, Executive Director, 800.882.5271 or 502.564.5937. Dr. Angene Wilson, University of Kentucky College of Education, has used open space meetings successfully in a variety of situations (606/257-1893). In Peoria, Illinois in July 1997, several groups, in partnership with local government, produced an open space meeting on the future of neighborhoods for 420 participants. Contact Pat Landes, Assistant Director of Planning & Zoning, City of Peoria, 309.494.8602.
Who staffs open space meetings?
- One facilitator for the whole group; the facilitator's most important job takes place within the first 1.5 hours of the meeting.
- Each small group manages itself, and someone from the group enters a quick written report into a computer at the meeting site. Each participant leaves the open space session with a printed version of the rough meeting notes from every small group held during the entire meeting.
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