From a temporary learning group we founded boscop as registered cooperative thus creating an institutional framework for our consultancy, our collegial counselling and as a basis for joint contracting.
The origins of the Berlin Open Space Cooperative date back to 1997. At that time, consultants from the fields of organizational development, supervision, education, community work, and human resources development came together in the working group “Large-Group Intervention in Transformation Processes” (GiT) to jointly expand their expertise in the field of large-group work.
Over the time they wished to institutionalise the ongoing exchange and learning.
The organisation should be based on cooperation, should be flexible and reliable at the same time, it should work on a permanent basis and orientate towards learning and negotiating. Furthermore it should be truly participative. A cooperative was the choice of the hour, founded in 2004 by seven members.
Today
As a cooperative of Open Space facilitators, boscop sees itself as a learning, interactive organization that integrates Open Space as the guiding principle of its organizational structure. To this end, we engage in continuous dialogue with one another to learn together and further develop our cooperative. Our goal is to embody Open Space as an organization—through our internal working methods, which are based on the principle of “everybody leads”, personal responsibility and self-organization. For example, we conduct our annual retreats using the Open Space format and, when necessary, apply and test other formats for ourselves. We see ourselves as constantly in a process of development, and we experience and work through the very issues that also drive and challenge other organizations in their day-to-day work. According to one client, this enhances the quality of our consulting work.
The founding members on Nov 21, 2004 at the end of the inaugural meeting from left to right: Jutta Weimar, Ilona Boettger, Barbara Kozok, Friedrich Reinsch, Michael Pannwitz jr.
front: Jo Toepfer, Michael M Pannwitz (the initiators)