Our Services

I-Open can assist your organization in launching a series of civic forums designed to engage citizens, build networks, and launch transformative initiatives. These forums are not "just talk". They are guided conversations that give participants a sense of exploration and learning. 

By focusing on the lessons of Appreciative Inquiry, I-Open has pioneered the design of both weekly and monthly forums. Beyond that, I-Open has formed partnerships with a number of technology companies to explore how civic conversations can be continued on the Internet.

I-Open's services include: 

Workshops.--  We conduct half day to full day workshops to introduce your organization to the concepts of civic forums and how to implement them. These workshops also introduce to you the basic Web 2.0 tools you need to build your networks online. 

Forum Design.--   From I-Open's perspective, civic forums are process of building open networks, not a series of disconnected events. Designing civic forums focuses on creating engaging experiences for the participants. Standard "talking heads" meetings do not work. Instead, I-Open designs forums that actively engage participants in focused conversations, the type of conversations needed for the complex thinking that our challenges demand.

Forum Marketing.--  Civic meetings often suffer when only the "usual suspects" participate. To expand the circle, forum organizers need to reach out to nontraditional audiences. Marketing starts with finding engaging topics around which networks can form.

Forum Facilitation.--  In these forums, the role of the facilitator  is more active than in traditional open meeting settings. The facilitator helps guide the conversation with active questioning. Because the agendas of forums are particularly loose, the facilitator plays an important role in seeing patterns and making explicit connections.

Forum Web Casting.-- I-Open forums represent an ongoing conversation. Capturing these conversations on the web creates several important advantages. First, webcasting expands the audience. Second, archives of past forums create a rich repository of community knowledge and connection. Finally, webcasting reinforces transparency, a vitally important value as communities build their networks.

Social Network Analysis.--  Networks are emerging as a key component of regional economies. Communities and regions with thicker civic networks are more competitive. They can learn faster, spot opportunities faster, and align their resources faster. Social Network Analysis uses powerful software tools to enable people to visualize these networks and to strengthen them intentionally.

Introduction to Strategic Doing.--  Civic forums offer an opportunity for participants to learn new approaches to economic and workforce development based on Strategic Doing. This framework represents an approach that uses the power of open networks to accelerate innovation in communities and regions.