Diane etc

[Ingrid Olausson]

I think verbal reports tend to be boring and takes a long time. I ask for written reports even for one-day events with 2-3 sessions. They are asked to write down names and issues and the most interested topics and ideas they have touched on during their sessions. They write this either during their session or directly after it. Most often they are handwritten - this is the easiest to organize. After the conference they are copied (and minimized from A3 to A4) and distributed to the participants and others that might be interested. They can also be put into their electronic network afterwords.
The closing sessions takes care of the participants comitments. We use a talking stick (in big groups a microphone) and everyone has a chance to tell about their personal next steps. In groups as large as 250-300 this will not take more than one hour (I tell them that this is the time we have got, wich makes people disciplined).
Ingrid