Owen has worked with a variety of organizations, including small West African villages, urban (American and African) community organizations, the Peace Corps, regional medical programs, the National Institutes of Health, and the Veterans Administration.

Preface to the Third Edition

Chapter I Open Space Technology?
The Genesis of Open Space Technology
Experience to Date
Coming Attractions

Chapter II Preparation
Appropriateness
It Always Works
Working with The Client if you are NOT the Sponsor
Focus and Intent
The Group
How Many?
The Invitation
Time and Space
OST in Combination
Space
Other Considerations Like When Do We Eat?
Supplies
Consultation with the Facility Management
Checklist for Open Space

Chapter III Proceedings and The Electronic Connection
How Does It Work Practically?
Keep It Simple
How Many Printers?
Reports without Computers
Wikis, Blogs, and Websites

Chapter IV Personal Preparation for Open Space
Creating and Holding Time and Space
Being Authentically Present
Self Preparation

Chapter V Site Preparation
Physical Arrangements: Chairs in a Circle
Plenty of Space
Make the Wall Accessible
And Nothing in the Middle (Almost)
Creation and Placement of Signs
Space/Time Matrix and Daily Schedule
Report Production

Chapter VI Creating Time and Space
Welcome
Focus the Group
State the Theme
Describe the Process
The Four Principles and One Law
A Final Admonition
Time to Go to Work
Creating the Community Bulletin Board
Opening the Village Marketplace

Chapter VII Holding Time and Space
Collecting Coffee Cups and Trash
Sensing and Responding to the Environment
Morning Announcements and Evening News
Empowering the People
Potholes in the Road
Heavy Weather
Space Invaders
Dealing with the Outrageous
To Intervene or Not Intervene

Chapter VIII Movement to Action
Getting the Whole System in the Room
Prioritization and Action Planning
Sticky Dots
Voting
Convergence and Action Plans
Another Way: Opening the Space for Action

Chapter IX Endings and New Beginnings
The Talking Stick Ceremony
Alternatives to the Talking Stick Ceremony
Reflections on Open Space: The Medicine Wheel

Chapter X Follow Up
Keep the Space Open / Open more Space

Chapter XI Unexpected Gifts: Leadership, Performance, Peace
Leadership
High Performance
Peace and Peacemaking

Chapter XII What Next?

Additional Resources
Index
About the Author

Open Space Technology: A User s Guide is just what the name implies: a hands-on, detailed description of facilitating Open Space Technology (OST). OST is an effective, economical, fast, and easily repeatable strategy for organizing meetings of between 5 and 2,000 participants that has been used in thousands of organizations in 134 countries and just keeps growing in popularity. Written by the originator of the method, this is the most authoritative book on the rationale, procedures, and requirements of OST.

OST enables self-organizing groups of all sizes to deal with hugely complex issues in a very short period of time. This step-by-step user s guide details what needs to be done before, during, and after an Open Space event.

Harrison Owen details all the practical considerations necessary to create Open Space. He begins with the most important question should you use Open Space at all? and examines what types of situations are appropriate for Open Space Technology and what types are not. He then goes on to look at nuts-and-bolts issues such as supplies, logistics, and who should come and how you should go about getting them there.

This third edition adds a survey of the current status of Open Space Technology around the world, an updated section on the latest available technology for report writing (a key aspect of the Open Space process), and an updated list of resources.