Talking…will it make a difference?
What’s our purpose?
What is the problem we need to discuss?
What risks and benefits do we face if we agree to engage?
As you contemplate whether to sponsor or participate in talks, such as:
- Stakeholder negotiations
- Peace accords
- Public involvement
- Joint fact finding
- Strategic planning
you may benefit from an independent perspective. CDR can accurately profile the situation and offer an objective assessment to help you determine:
- If talks are likely to be successful
- Who should be involved
- How the process should be organized.
CDR’s practical assessments map public disputes, industry sector issues, organizational problems, and conflict resolution systems. We talk with all the actors – policy makers, industry leaders, activists, government officials – listening intently, untangling the relationships, and unpacking the perspectives. Then, we share what we’ve learned and build on your valuable insights, offering a clearer picture of exactly what is going on.
Using the information from our assessments, you can weigh the risks and benefits of proceeding (or not) and validate the problem before crafting solutions. Regardless of the outcome of our assessment, the choice to invest your time and effort in some form of talks is yours.
If you choose to go forward, CDR can help by:
- Designing the best structure for talking
- Determining the right process
- Providing a neutral space that lends legitimacy to the work you do
- Advising on selection and development of effective working relationships with a facilitator or mediator.
You will receive a set of recommendations on choosing participants and a clear roadmap to meet your goals. You’ll also benefit from a CDR strategy for dealing with important technical matters that may arise from your talks.
CDR assessment and design provides:
- Quick or in-depth assessments of complex public disputes, industry sector problems, organizational issues, and conflict resolution systems
- Discussions with concerned stakeholders to discern relationships and perspectives
- Detailed reports of findings and recommendations for next steps, including:
- Assessment of the viability of talks
- Draft roadmap of the process, its purpose, and desired outcomes
- Key participants
- Issues and questions to address
- Meeting structure
- Strategies to achieve results
- Plan for gathering, sharing, and explaining technical information
Examples of CDR situation assessments:
International
Bulgaria – Situation Assessment, Design and Implementation of Multiethnic Cooperation Commissions – Bulgarian Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution and Pew Charitable Trust. Bulgaria Assessment Report [PDF]
East Timor – Situation Assessment and Design of a New Land and Property Dispute Resolution System -Ministry of Justice, Land and Property Directorate (LPD) and the Canadian International Development Agency.
Mongolia – Mongolia Mining Sector Assessment Report, United States Agency for International Development, Washington D.C.
Peru – Report of the CAO Expert Mission to Cajamarca: Situation Assessment and Proposal for a Dialogue Process. Office of the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman, International Finance Corporation, Washington, D.C. 2008. Peru Assessment Report [PDF]
Southern Africa - Situation Assessment and Consultation on the Design of an Organizational Policy Making System for Transboundary River Management for Angola, Botswana and Namibia, Okavango River Basin Commission, U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Domestic
Amnesty International - Organizational Situation Assessment and Policy Dispute Resolution System Design.
Klamath Basin Issues – Situation Assessment & Prospects for Mediation. Klamath Basin Assessment Report [PDF]
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Red River Watershed Management Board – Situation Assessment on Flood Control Planning for the Red River of the North. Minnesota Assessment Report [PDF]
Missouri River Basin, U.S, Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution – Situation Assessment on the Feasibility and Convening of a Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC). Missouri Assessment Report
The World Bank Group – Organizational Situation Assessment and Consultation on the Enhancement and Redesign of Bank-wide Personnel Dispute Resolution Systems.
