#OpendataCH19 Forum on 4 July – how we support thematic discussions

  • Forum

This Thursday, 4 July, the time has finally come. The Swiss open data community meets for its annual conference, which this year we are organising as an ‘unconference’.

How the forum day as a whole will run we have already described in an earlier blog post.

Our volunteers support the participants at the forum in various roles:

  • They welcome the participants at the welcome desk and help them find their way;
  • They support the organising team in identifying the topics in the plenary at the start of the forum;
  • They support the groups in discussing individual topics as facilitators and note-takers;
  • They help participants with any questions and support the organising team in the preparation and during the forum day.

At this point, a big thank you to all the volunteers – without you, this forum could not take place in this way!

Finding the topics together in the plenary

About the method we will use to collect and prioritise the participants’ topics together in the plenary, we don’t want to reveal more than we have already described here. What matters is this: as a participant, prepare yourself for the following question:

If today you could exchange views with others on only one topic, one question, one need, one challenge, what would it be? What absolutely has to be discussed today?

Formulate the topic, the question, the need, the challenge simply and clearly. There will be big, very fundamental topic proposals. And there will be small, very detailed ones. Both are equally worthwhile if it is the question that occupies you when you think about open data, provide it and/or use it.

Discussing a topic together as a group

The result of a group discussion on a topic will be a set of minutes – without the names of the discussants, but with the experiences and insights of all participants who speak up. Besides the opportunity for various actors to engage with one another at the forum, the minutes will be a central tool for clarifying the topic further after the forum, organising supporters, and developing and implementing the necessary measures. Our note-takers thank you for speaking clearly in the discussion and not all at once.

To ensure that everyone can have their say on an equal footing, our facilitators support the form and flow of the discussions. Methodologically, in large groups (of more than about 15 people) they may decide to use a Liberating Structures method: 1-2-4-All. They give the floor and make sure the session ends after 45 minutes. On the content, they do not hold an opinion on the topic, but help the group to exchange views and together reach the goal of a 45-minute thematic session. The goal is to clarify the topic, the question, the need, the challenge:

  1. What are my experiences with it? Why does it interest me? What is it about?
  2. What are the aspects? How do we make progress? What could be a sensible next step?

If the group manages to clarify the first point, that is already a success. We often discuss very concrete solutions far too early, without first jointly clarifying the needs and expectations. If the group then exchanges views on the second point and even discusses next steps, that is valuable, necessary groundwork for everything that can and should happen after the forum day. Our facilitators are our representatives in the room. Thank you for supporting their role and task.

We look forward to an exciting forum day, and to this exchange supporting you in your work in the coming months. Wherever it is needed.

On behalf of the organising team, warm regards,
Andreas Amsler