Hi, Ms. Sharon Joy -
Sounds like you could do one hour open, 2 one-hour sessions, one hour
close.
Huge room. (double the size of the number of participants - like a
huge conference / exhibit building). As for any OS meeting.
The process does not change, just the logistics.
You can put 'arena' signs around to show people where to walk to their
numbered discussion sessions. Other colleagues here have used
balloons, signs hung from the ceiling and more.
Not starting in a big circle. Instead, a small platform in the center
for you (and you still work in / indicate the round), and let's say
270 pre-set circles of 15 chairs. Huge long wall for agenda - or maybe
one wall for one of the discussion time agenda items and one wall for
the other time. People start by sitting anywhere. Then they will go to
their groups once the first session starts.
Post-its pre-affixed to (or time + location already printed on) to
large-size topic signs.
People come up to one of the 'topic sign making stations' (tables with
blank topic signs fanned out, plus markers), write their topic and
name, come to the microphone at the end of that table, announce, then
walk up to post their sign on the agenda wall.
You keep indicating the next topic announcer (and next, and next) in
the round. All that creating the circle stuff can still happen with
your (large) OST guidelines posted in the round, you in the center
indicating in the round, people sitting in pre-created circles-of-
chairs in the round.
It can help to pre-print "topic" and "convenor" on the big blank topic
sheets - because with so many people it simply helps people remember
to put those two things on their sign.
Closing Circle - people are sitting anywhere - in their last group.
You invite comment and reflection by inviting people to come up to the
same microphones sitting in stands at the end of each topic sign-
making table.
Documentation is as challenging in a short OS of 4000 people as it is
for a short OS of 20 people: in only 2 sessions people do not tend to
want to step away to write up their notes.
So you have to think about that part - does a team transcribe the
participants' hand-written notes after the event to create the Book of
Proceedings?
Do you give each group a graphic template that helps them map out even
the unanswered questions (not just the 'results' or 'therefores'?) Of
course that also depends on how the information and relationships
generated at the event will be used post-event.
So: I've done quite a number of these super-huge ones, with several
thousand participants. The process never changes. The conversation is
as intimate as always. What changes are logistics - sight, sound,
traffic patterns, enough room.
Sorry for the possibly short-sounding text here - I'm poking my head
up to send this note while on a client deadline.
You are amazing and they are lucky to have you, my dear!
I am looking forward to hearing other ideas from others who have done
super-big OS events...
Lisa
Lisa Heft
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
President Emerita, Open Space Institute US
Fellow, Columbia University Center for International Conflict Resolution
Opening Space
On Jul 9, 2013, at 5:38 PM, Sharon Joy Chao wrote:
Need to figure a way of convening a thousand government people to go
through an exploratory discussion on high performance system, all
under 4 hours.
This happens next week down south in the city of Cebu. The focus is
on the Philippine government service, its performance management
system and how it can be truly essential, responsive and life-giving.
Gail West, my OS mentor friend, has provided me with some incredible
suggestions on how to proceed and she also advised me to post on
OSList.
Any thoughts on how best to proceed with a cast of thousand in 4
hours time?
Maraming Salamat.
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