OS for evaluation data collection

[Susan Lilley]

Hello Laurel,

I have often wondered how OS could work as an evaluation tool, but have not used
it in that way.  For this reason I enjoyed your description of the session you
described in your recent posting. Could you provide a little more detail? I am
curious as to how much time you had and how many discussion sessions. Was it all
done within the normal one or two hour class time?

I would also like to hear from others who have used OST for evaluation, and to
give it a try myself soon.

Many thanks,
Susan Lilley
7 Canterbury Place
Dartmouth NS B2Y 4J5
Tel: (902) 463-1837
Fax: (902) 469-0833
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~LilleyS/Profile.html


"Doersam, Laurel" wrote:

> I've done a program evaluation in Open Space with MA students in Leadership
> and Training at Royal Roads University in Victoria.  It was an amazing
> experience, and the students took to the process like ducks to water.  In
> fact, I've been chatting with several who intend to use OST as a
> data-collection vehicle for their research projects.  I've directed them to
> this listserve, so hopefully one of them will jump in to this discussion. .
> . (Caroline, are you lurking???).  Having recently graduated from the MA
> (Leadership and Training) program at Royal Roads myself, it seemed like such
> a natural fit that I contacted the university as soon as I got home from the
> facilitators' training last spring.  I believe that the iterative process
> you describe would be ideally suited to adult leadership students in
> creating their learning community.  In Open Space the community would grow
> organically and NOT require any of the manipulative fertilizer that the
> instruction team seemed to feel was necessary to encourage the growth of our
> learning community.
>
> Having said all that, I have another story to relate that ties in with
> Birgitt's concerns.  One of the faculty decided that since Open Space was
> making an appearance at the university, she ought to learn the process.  She
> found a description of the process on the 'net and set about to do an "Open
> Space" prior to the evaluation that I facilitated.  I don't know the details
> of what transpired, except that I was warned when I came to do the
> evaluation that one of the classes had had a "bad experience" with a
> "disastrous Open Space".  (Something was muttered about one of the first
> nations students in the class being deeply offended by the explanation of
> the process and all hell broke loose - but I wasn't able to glean all the
> details of what offended the student or why or what "disasterous" meant.)
> Basically, I surmised that the facilitator had a very rudimentary
> understanding of the Open Space process . . . my assumption is that the
> facilitation was very heavy-handed with lots of intervention.
>
> I entered a milieu where people felt very guarded about the process itself -
> so cautious, in fact, that the assistant director of the leadership program
> insisted that I cancel the Open Space for the class in question and use an
> different facilitation method.  However, I did do an Open Space event (using
> the theme "How could the MA (Leadership and Training) program be an even
> richer learning experience?") with the other class (one which had never
> experienced anything called "Open Space Technology").  The assistant
> director attended the event and was astonished with the quantity and quality
> of evaluation data collected, by the excitement of the participants, by the
> energy and synergy in the room - and as puzzled as I was about what on earth
> could have happened with the other class.  So, I've already experienced
> Birgitt's scenario of having the OST process defamed by faulty facilitation
> and/or a poor understanding of the process.
>
> I agree with Birgitt that it would be nice for clients to have some way to
> check on the credibility of their facilitator - but sometimes the
> facilitator is a (trusted) internal dilettante (or, to use Birgitt's
> analogy, a chef who improvises a recipe using whatever ingredients are
> cheap, readily available or come to mind, but calls it "Lindy's cheesecake"
> and sets up an expectation of a rich, creamy, delectable, cherry-topped
> delight).  However, once the damage is done and the credibility of the OST
> process is undermined, it is very difficult to undo.  I'm certain that if
> the arrangements had not already been made (and announced) that I would be
> leading the evaluation process in an OST format, BOTH OST sessions would
> have been cancelled.  As it was,  the credibility of the process was
> restored (I hope!!) by "Opening good Space" with the second class.
>
> I think that Peggy's comment about mentorship and lineage might be something
> to explore more deeply.  (Even in the cooking world, don't master chefs
> often cite their professional lineage?  Trained at such-and-such an amazing
> restaurant, under the tutelage of so-and-so, a famous chef?)  Certification,
> with all the attendant difficulties and bureaucracy, certainly seems
> dissonant with the spirit of Open Space.  However, even if a certification
> program WERE to exist, someone hiring a facilitator ought to do their due
> diligence anyway by contacting professional references.
>
> I agree that this listserve is a phenomenal learning instrument!!
>
> Laurel.
>
> Laurel Doersam
> Human Resource Consultant (Employee Wellness)
> Capital Health Region
> Victoria  BC
>

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