Open Space Technology (OST) is an approach for meetings that focuses on self-organization and expanding time and space for productive discussion of issues people want to address. It is characterized by an open invitation, participants arranging their chairs in a circle, a bulletin board for issues posted by participants, and breakout spaces that participants can freely move between. For OST to be effective, there needs to be complexity, diversity, conflict or potential conflict, and urgency among the participants. Key principles of OST include that whoever attends is the right people, it starts at the right time, it happens in the right place, and whatever unfolds is the only thing that could have happened. Participants are encouraged to use their "two feet"

1. RANDY T. NOBLEZA, Ph.D.
Open Space
Technology
April 18, 2017
EDM 202: social research
School of Education

2. OST outline
❖ definitions
❖ mechanisms
❖ conditions
❖ principles
❖ suggestions

3. Pannwitz
Open Space
is the only process that focuses on expanding
time and space for the force of self-
organisation to do its thing.
Although one can't predict specific outcomes,
it's always highly productive for whatever issue
people want to attend to.
Some of the inspiring side effects that are

4. The approach is characterized by a few basic
mechanisms:
❖ a broad, open invitation which articulates the purpose of the meeting;
❖ participants' chairs arranged in a circle;
❖ a "bulletin board" of issues and opportunities posted by participants;
❖ a "marketplace" with many break-out spaces that participants move
freely between, learning and contributing as they "shop" for
information and ideas;
❖ a "breathing" or "pulsation" pattern of flow, between plenary and
small-group breakout sessions.

6. Harrison Owen explains that this
approach works best when these
conditions are present,namely high
levels of
❖ complexity
❖ diversity
❖ conflict, real or potential
❖ urgency

7. The full form of Open Space Technology includes the
following
❖ Opening Circle (agenda co-creation
process at the start, without the
facilitator helping / synthesizing /
suggesting / reducing topics)
❖ Facilitator’s explanation of principles
and law (calling them guidelines,
invitations, whatever)
❖ Multiple conversations ideally
happening around the same big space,
ideally several discussion sessions
across time (without the facilitator
helping those groups)
❖ Closing Circle (comment and reflection)

8. – OST principles
“Whoever comes is the right people ….
Whenever it starts is the right time …
Wherever it is, is the right place …
Whatever happens is the only thing that could
have, be prepared to be surprised! …
When it's over, it's over (within this session) ...”

9. Law of two feet
If at any time during our time together you find yourself in
any situation where you are neither learning nor
contributing, use your two feet, go someplace else.

11. For running a productive session, consider the
following
❖ Scope. A topic that's too broad may not be tractable.
❖ Let people come. Hold the session in a room that's easy to find, and
try to avoid holding sessions at the
same time if they'll appeal to the same set of attendees.
❖ Let participants contribute.
❖ Let participants' contributions count.
❖ Grow connections. At the end of a session, nurture the opportunity
for ongoing collaboration by making
time for and encouraging synergistic participants to connect with
each other.