What I do — Public sector
How do you get public sector organisations to reach agreements?
In the public sector, interests are many and hierarchy is visible. In mergers and joint arrangements, people sit at the table who need each other and rarely speak. An Open Space gives those conversations a place in the programme.
Who is this for?
- You work for a municipality, agency, care institution or other public body
- Several organisations or levels of government have to move forward together
- You want input that can still change the outcome
- You have run a consultation round before whose conclusion was already set
Where this worked
VERA — Community Day, 2024, Halle city offices. VERA is the e-government support centre for the province of Flemish Brabant, connecting local authorities around IT policy and digitalisation. At its Community Day, VERA brought together local councils, social services, police zones and inter-municipal bodies. I facilitated the interactive part, where participants discussed ethical digitalisation, information management and data-driven working in small groups. The audience reached well beyond IT: policy officers, communications, civil registry, and heads of finance and organisational control. VERA’s write-up
I do not know what happened with the outcomes afterwards; I was not involved beyond that day. That is one reason I now discuss follow-up in advance.
Why this works in the public sector
In most public sector challenges, someone in the room already knows the answer. That person usually is not speaking. Or is not in the same room as whoever decides.
In an Open Space the people present set the agenda. Hierarchy does not disappear. It just matters less, for one day, in deciding who speaks. What you are left with are agreements made by the people who have to act on them.
Brussels and the European context
Brussels combines institutional complexity, multilingualism and stakeholders from different countries. Those are the conditions in which Open Space works best. I facilitate English-speaking groups in international settings.
From gathering to agreement
An Open Space produces a harvest: everything participants wrote down themselves. A report is not yet a decision, and that is where large gatherings usually stall. So during preparation we agree who decides after the day, how, and by when. Groups that work with consent already have that form in place.
Frequently asked questions
What does Open Space facilitation cost?
I work with a day rate plus the preparation the challenge requires. With Open Space that preparation carries weight: the central question, the participant group, and the agreement about what happens after the day determine whether it works. Total cost depends on group size, number of days, venue and follow-up. You receive a quote after the thirty-minute exploratory conversation.