WHAT IS “OPEN SPACE”

At the last Training Direction Network meeting, Jessie Williams who is the CCWT Training Calendar Coordinator facilitated the “Open Space” section. She covered the following topics in her presentation:

- What is Open Space
- How to use/practice it
- Its positives and negatives

This is a summary of Jessie’s presentation:
· Open Space is a process-based facilitation activity
· A loose facilitation framework is utilized. There is not set agenda
· There are four rules
- Whoever comes is the right person. Share your ideas and allow other to do the same
- Whatever happens, happens
- Starting is the right time and follow your own energy
- When it is over is over. There is not a set timeframe
· Different groups work around butcher’s papers where the discussion takes place.

Participants have the chance to join and leave different groups
· Open Space is based on self-organising principles. Human beings tend to get organized very quickly
· One of the conditions is to bring passion and responsibility for the whole process
· Theme leaders facilitate discussion around the butcher’s paper and report back to the group
· This facilitation method works well when you have a big group, where there are diverse views and there is a potential on possible conflict.
· The “law of the feet’ operates in the “Open Space context”: people are allowed to switch groups or go wherever they want to go

· Example of an Agenda:
- Plenary
- Choose the theme leaders
- Develop the agenda – selecting the topic
- Go to the group discussions
- Compile notes – documenting issue on butcher’s papers
- Develop action
- Allow people to provide input

Attached to this article you will be able to watch two videos from YouTube providing further understanding into the topic: