Preparation
01 · Define the convening theme
- Open space needs a theme that is genuinely passionate and urgent for all those invited.
- Frame it as an open question or a tension, not as a closed objective.
- Example: "How do we create a school that everyone wants to belong to?" or "The future of our community in the next 10 years."
02 · Prepare the physical space
- A large main room for the opening and closing, with chairs in a circle.
- Several additional rooms or spaces for simultaneous sessions.
- A "marketplace wall": space for posting the emerging agenda (posters, time slots).
03 · Prepare basic logistics
- Large paper and markers for people to write their session proposals.
- A recording system: each session has a notes sheet that is published at the end ("the proceedings book").
Step-by-step instructions
1
Opening circle
- The whole group gathers in the main room, seated in a circle or spiral.
- The facilitator presents the convening theme and explains the principles and the law of two feet.
- Harrison Owen's four principles: (1) Whoever comes are the right people. (2) Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. (3) Whenever it starts is the right time. (4) When it's over, it's over.
2
Creating the agenda (15-30 min)
- The facilitator invites anyone with a topic they feel passionate or genuinely concerned about to stand up, take a large sheet of paper, write the title of their proposed session, go to the center, and briefly announce it.
- That person then chooses a physical space and a time slot on the marketplace wall and posts their proposal.
- The process continues until all who wanted to propose a session have done so.
- No one is obligated to propose: attending as a participant is equally valid.
3
Running the sessions
- Participants read the agenda, choose the sessions they want to attend, and head to them.
- The person who proposed the session facilitates it, but does not need to be an expert: their role is to open the conversation.
- Each session has a notes sheet where someone records the ideas, conclusions, and commitments that emerge.
- Thanks to the law of two feet, people circulate: some attend several sessions, some stay in one all morning. All of this is fine.
4
Publishing proceedings
- When each session ends, the notes sheet is handed over or photographed to compile the Open Space "proceedings book."
- In digital processes, notes are uploaded in real time to a shared document.
5
Closing circle
- The whole group reconvenes in the main room.
- The facilitator opens a closing round: What emerged today? What are you taking away? Are there commitments or next steps the group wants to make public?
- The proceedings book is distributed to all participants.
Materials
Large main room with chairs in a circle
Additional rooms or spaces for simultaneous sessions
Marketplace wall: marked time slots and available spaces
Large paper sheets (A3 or larger) and markers for session proposals
Notes sheets for each session
Adhesive tape for posting proposals on the wall
Digital tools
Practical recommendations
The facilitator's role in open space is radically different from other methodologies: they do not direct content, only hold the process and the space. This can be uncomfortable for facilitators accustomed to control.
Trust the law of two feet even when it seems chaotic: it produces higher quality conversations than those generated when people stay in sessions where they are neither learning nor contributing.
Open space works best when the theme is genuinely urgent and important for everyone. If the theme was decided by the organization and participants do not feel ownership over it, energy will be low.
Can also be used in a condensed format (2-3 hours) with smaller groups (15-30 people) for collaborative decisions or planning.
The proceedings book is a valuable product: distributing it quickly (within 24-48 hours) maintains momentum and serves as the collective memory of the process.
Inspiration
Examples of convening themes for open space:
- Educational: "How do we want learning to happen in our institution?"
- Community: "The future of the neighborhood / community in our hands"
- Organizational: "How do we innovate without losing what makes us unique?"
- Youth: "What world do we want and what role do young people have in building it?"
- Environmental: "Our relationship with the territory: past, present, and future"
- Half-day open space: 2-3 work sessions instead of a full day; ideal for introducing the methodology.
- Virtual open space: With breakout rooms in video conferencing platforms and a digital marketplace wall in Miro or similar.
- Unconference: Popular version in technology and innovation environments; same self-organizing logic, typically in one day.
- Closing cycle open space: For a group to reflect and celebrate a process that is ending, freely choosing which topics they want to discuss before parting.
Consulted sources
- Owen, H. (1997). Open Space Technology: A User's Guide. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
- Owen, H. (2008). Wave Rider: Leadership for High Performance in a Self-Organizing World. Berrett-Koehler.
- Holman, P., Devane, T. & Cady, S. (2007). The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems. Berrett-Koehler.
