I first encountered Open Space Technology (OST) about 7 years ago. It was being used by the Primary Care Trust in East Rotherham. It was introduced as a method that could be used in a couple of hours in a community setting. I used it a few times in short bursts, with various groups engaged with community planning.
At the time I was familiar with a few participative approaches and so OST appealed to me. Also, it seemed to work well with local people. As is often the case with participative methods, it is the professionals who struggle with the method.
I found this was much more problematic when I tried to use it in an ecumenical context. I have run a couple of 24 hour sessions and I have learned a few hard truths. One is that this method is very difficult to facilitate. Second, it really needs to be run by people who voluntarily agree to take part in it, groups have difficulty grasping the method when unprepared. Also, the short sessions seem to work quite well but once you go for a long session, it is perhaps best to go for 2 or 3 days. One day produces a lot of useful and insightful information but does not allow time to move those taking part to the action phase.
The paradox seems to be that people in neighbourhoods find it liberating from the agendas of the various workers in the community who normally set the agenda. Professional people have strong agendas and find freedom to explore them profoundly threatening.
My conclusion is that OST is a powerful method where people contract to work in that way in advance. It is less effective where participants are unprepared. I by no means wish to write it off as a method to be used in ecumenical contexts;the challenge is to find a context in which it will work well. Maybe more experienced facilitators than I could make a better job of it, but if we are seeking means to get started with participative methods, OST may have limited practical application.
For more information, Harrison Owen, the founder of OST, is the author of Open Space Technology: A User's Guide. There is also a useful website that covers contemporary use of the method.
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