Open Space is being used in the Agile community for education. We sit in a circle, we lay out the basic idea, and off we go. In this sense, Open Space is not much different than a BarCamp or a Unconference.
At most Open Spaces I have attended in the Agile community, proceedings are not produced. The definitive book on the subject entitled Open Space Technology, a Users Guide, from Harrison Owen, clearly states that proceedings are part of the canonical Open Space meeting form.
A good introduction to Open space is at www.OpenSpaceWorld.org
In Boston on September 29, 2011, we convened the Agile Day in Boston event in collaboration with Agile NYC. Our Open Space theme was “Freedom At Work” and over 245 people attended. We produced a full proceedings. The proceedings we produced were transcribed so as to be searchable. The PDF we produced included over 45 Open Space sessions on all kinds of Agile topics. You can downlaod and examine these Open Space proceedings in full searchable PDF format here.
Open Space is a wonderful meeting format, and useful for so much more than just education and socializing. In the Agile Coaching, I use Open Space to help my clients get better and better. In the posts that follow, I plan to explain in detail the role that Open Space can play in an effective Agile Coaching practice.
