Search Conference

The Overarching Structure

A Search Conference may ideally last 2 days. Two sets of factors are important in this regard. First, a 2-day [Page 696]conference allows participants to establish relations, because they will then, among other things, have dinner together and will often be staying in the same place. When a Search Conference is held in a place where participants can stay the night, it has the benefit that participants are removed from their daily tasks. This allows them to focus all their attention on the conference. The evening and night also give participants time to reflect and learn from the challenges and learning that the first day has contributed. A smart routine is to start the next day by asking whether anyone has pondered on anything or has any new ideas since the previous day. This often gives rise to many exciting ideas.

In principle, a Search Conference starts with the identification of a problem area, and it ends with the generation of concrete projects to meet the challenges that the conference has brought to light. Activities in a Search Conference are, as mentioned, divided between presentations and discussions in the plenary session and work in groups, and the group work is usually conveyed to all participants in plenary.

The Search Conference is led by a staff of professionals (at least two people). In addition, it is often natural to involve key local players. The local participants can contribute local knowledge which is necessary to select the right stakeholders, but they can also function as a doorway to the local community.

Selecting Participants

The first challenge for a staff that is organizing a Search Conference is selecting participants. A basic feature of the selection process is to find people who reflect as many aspects or interests of the issue in question as possible. It is important to make every effort to give all relevant stakeholders a voice in the conference. For example, in a conference that relates to a local community, participants should include children, youth, politicians, business managers, active women's groups and representatives of public administration. Thorough work must be done in selecting participants based on an assessment of who is important with respect to the specific issue at stake, and the potential participants must be judged to have the ability to co-operate in learning and planning processes. It is also important that the staff responsible for the conference establish as good an understanding as possible of the organization or community that is the focal point of the conference. One possible way of doing this is to interview all potential participants in advance, who will give the staff an understanding of who they are and an opportunity to convey what the Search Conference involves, and to motivate people to take part.

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