Open Space Technology is a way of facilitation wherein original concepts from African meeting traditions, such as circles, rhythm of breath, a bulletin board, a village marketplace and 'talking stick ceremonies', have been adapted to an innovative, widely accepted and productive manner of working with groups and teams in training and meetings.
Open Space Technology is centred around self-organizing and self-managing groups of people that within a minimal methodological frame of procedures develop their own way of working, building on the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that already exist within the group.
Open Space Technology was originated around 1985 by Harrison Owen. His ideas were triggered out of frustration with extensive and very long preparation procedures of his training sessions and meetings, to find out in the end that the coffee breaks had been the most successful and effective elements of the programme. Inspired by the inhabitants of a West African village, Owen started to develop a concept of facilitation wherein passion and responsibility for the tasks that were to be completed, played a central role.