Using Ning for Open Space harvest

I spent most of this past week in Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland, joining with Ella McQuinn in facilitating the Gros Morne Institute’s International Summit on Sustainable Tourism.  The conference covered four focus areas of sustainable tourism using the same half-day design for each segment: 1.5 hrs of Keynote and Panel followed by 2 hrs of Open Space.  The final half-day session saw the group of just over 100 delegates converging on action items and next steps. 

Several weeks ago I started a private Ning site for the gathering with an invitation to join sent out to all registered delegates.  Forum discussions were started surrounding the four broad focus areas of the conference and a pre-conference profile questionnaire allowed delegates to get to know one another prior to showing up.  Additionally, one of the conference organizers started to blog actively and many delegates chose to upload various travel photos – such is the nature of the sustainable tourism crowd, I’ve learned.  All of this activity – with 70% of conference attendees active on the Ning in forums, discussions, and leaving notes for each other – occurred before the conference ever started. 

One of the challenges as Open Space scales is how to harvest learning from the individual sessions in a way that informs the whole, without resorting to time-consuming verbal harvests by session hosts.  To address this challenge, first we had session hosts complete written harvests that were typed by volunteering students and enlarged to 11x17 output, then placed around the room.  Then each host took the time, during meals, breaks, etc., to record a brief (2-5min) video synopsis of the conversation using my Flip Video camera and a mini tripod.  These videos were uploaded to the Ning during the evenings and conference delegates could review the videos the next morning. 

Now that the conference is over, delegates can use the Ning to further their discussions and initiatives – while automatically informing the community of their efforts and allowing the conversation to grow.  All keynote speeches, panel discussions, and Open Space break out session videos are available for ongoing review and reference on the Ning – along with the PowerPoint slides and other supporting material from the conference. (At least they will be available once I get it all uploaded.) 

All of this to say, I simply find Ning to be exceptionally useful for this sort of thing.  Conferences are supposed to be about connecting, learning from each other, and then – with any luck – collectively moving some initiatives forward.  And if that’s what you’re after with the conference you’re organizing, it seems to me that the little bit of time and energy needed to invest in a Ning site is incredibly well spent.

Comments

[Mike Wagner]

"Now that the conference is over, delegates can use the Ning to further their discussions and initiatives – while automatically informing the community of their efforts and allowing the conversation to grow."

How do we keep the conversation alive after the event?

That's the question that rattles around in my noggin.

Ning sounds like a good way to do it.

Keep creating...a story worth repeating,
Mike

[Jack Martin Leith]

As Mike Wagner says, this is "a story worth repeating", and I've repeated it here with a few comments of my own and a link to the bit of my Open Space microsite that's about "after the event": http://www.jackmartinleith.com/?p=1700.

If the OS event spawns projects and project teams, I've discovered that you need to do the following if you want to keep the flame alive: have the project managers form a project co-ordination team, the purpose of which is to keep each other, and all other interested parties, updated on the progress of their projects. (Their monthly reports can be published on Ning if you've adopted Carman's excellent approach).

Now this is the bit that makes the whole thing work: the project co-ordination group I've just mentioned *must* include a member of the top management team as an equal member. This keeps the projects on the main management agenda, and ensures that they're wired into the resource allocation system. And if things go wrong, (1) that's a heaven-sent opportunity to turn breakdown into breakthrough, and (2) the senior manager can intervene if required.

If you're a theory boffin like me ("there's nothing so practical as a good theory"), the science behind the approach I've just described is Stafford Beer's Viable System Model - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viable_System_Model. The project co-ordination team and the Ning facility make up System Two.

Thanks again for sharing your story, Carman. It's essential reading for anyone involved in big collaborative events, whether based on Open Space Technology or other methods.

[cpirie]

@Mike @Jack - thanks so much for stopping by. Lovely to see the interest generated by this harvesting approach. Thank you for adding to the discussion.

cheers, cp