What a great subject for an open space! Open Space helps a group self-organize.
For me, the first step is to get VERY clear about the purpose of the gathering. People participate in OS meeting because they are drawn to something they really care about. The way you express the purpose has a lot to do with how effective you are at attracting participation. With clarity of purpose, who to invite becomes the next major thing to consider. The simple response on this is to invite whoever cares about the subject. Experience shows that the more diverse the group, the greater the possibility for innovation. The web site has several tools that might be helpful to you: a check list, a sample invitation, some other items. If you don't have a copy of Open Space Technology, it is a "cook book" that can provide a lot of guidance for doing an open space event. The order information is available via the web site (www.tmn.com/openspace). I've forwarded this note to the Open Space listserv, which is a group of Open Spacers that may have other suggestions for you. Feel free to ask more questions if I can be of further assistance. Peg Holman Open Space Institute ---------- > From: feueral...@aol.com > To: o...@tmn.com > Subject: Use of Open Space > Date: Sunday, February 16, 1997 8:16 PM > > I attended a training exercise on OSI in 1993 down in Santa Barbara > California. > > I coordinate an Emergency Management program responsible for Disaster > preparedness, response and recovery for two cities with a population of > 250,000 people. I am considering using "open Space to get a group of citizen > volunteer workers to self empower, define their issues, build a team and take > the program to the next level. > > Any tips of preparation prior to getting started? > > Money is an object. > > I have studied "Riding the Tiger". > > Any other suggested publications?