Typical organisation of a seminar

Participants

The seminars gather 20 professionals working in firms, associations, trade unions, administrations, academia, related to the issue being debated, mainly from the European Union, and potentially from the candidate countries, the European Free Trade Association and the Western Balkans. They all speak intuitu personae (i.e. not as representatives of their organisation or of their country) in full freedom and confidentiality.

The seminars are held in English language, with no translation provided: delegates are expected to be fluent, at least orally.

General method

The general intention of the schedule is for the delegates to first develop into a group, of people knowing and trusting one another, before going into concrete and potentially conflicting work. It also follows the rules of a creative and efficient process, being first very open, with a strongly convergent phase in the end.

Each participant has received beforehand a "Reference document", introducing the issue to be treated and containing bibliographic and Web references, and has had the opportunity of a first exchange of views by e-mail with the other participants.

Typical schedule

Duration: 3.5 days over a week-end, from Friday evening to following Tuesday afternoon.


Day 0 (Friday):
Arrival of delegates. Settling in hotel. Late buffet dinner.


Day 1 (Saturday):

  1. Opening session: purpose of the seminar, introduction of each participant (background, motivation for coming, intentions and expectations). Talking Stick method (each participant is allowed to speak as long as s/he holds the stick materialising the right to do so)
  2. Open Space debate session A: free set-up of discussion groups , each handling one of the key topics to be addressed, as defined by the participants


Day 2 (Sunday):

  1. Open Space debate session B.
  2. Guided visit of Erfurt city.
  3. Feedback session: Talking Stick method.


Day 3 (Monday):

  1. Common definition of Public Policy Proposals, draft version.
  2. Commission work. Writing of Public Policy Proposals. Distribution of copies to all delegates.
  3. Free writing of amendments, distribution of copies to all delegates.


Day 4 (Tuesday):

  1. Vote on amendments and on the final version of the Public Policy Proposals
  2. Feedback session: Talking Stick method.
  3. Departure of delegates (early afternoon).