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Federal ADR Services

Facilitation

ADR Options specializes in facilitation of groups tasked with solving complex problems, particularly in the public policy arena. Our skillful facilitators come from a broad base of professional experience that affords a real-world understanding of issues and allows us to help groups focus on solutions that will work and will be durable over time.

We typically begin the facilitation process by interviewing each party to fully understand the issues and interests to be addressed and the background that preceded the problem-solving process. We then establish the ground rules and format for the process and, if appropriate, provide joint training to the group members in the application of interest-based conflict resolution techniques. This establishes a baseline of procedures and expectations for the group that emphasizes open communication and development and analysis of multiple options for addressing each stakeholder's interest, before reaching final conclusions.

When facilitating groups, we work with group members to assure that the process is fair and accessible to all parties, that there is an accurate record of the proceedings, and that the group's progress is tracked so that no issues are lost or left incompletely resolved. Our facilitators create a successful process while remaining neutral to all of the parties.

Our interest-based facilitation services have been successfully used for diverse matters including labor-management contract negotiations, multi-jurisdictional government discussions, facility siting processes and strategic planning sessions.

Facilitation of Stakeholder Processes and Public Policy Decision Making

In the complex and highly charged world of crafting public policies, the services of trained neutrals can be extremely beneficial in facilitating a successful outcome.  ADR Options has experienced facilitators who have been trained to work as neutral parties, allowing them to successfully navigate through the most challenging public processes.  ADR Options facilitators have extensive knowledge of the principles of interest-based mediation, and their work is informed by their senior level management, public involvement and policy experience.  These skills are of particularly high value when dealing with divergent stakeholder groups convening on controversial or emotionally charged issues.  Through the use of the interest-based facilitation and active listening skills, common interests among the parties can be identified, resulting in mutual understanding and durable agreements, rather than the parties deadlocking in positional statements.

ADR Options facilitators are skilled at designing and convening many different types of public meetings.  The process will vary depending on the stakeholder groups involved, the nature and complexity of the issue, and the ultimate goal of the process.  Our facilitators design public outreach formats that maximize the level of participation as well as creating an environment of goodwill and inclusion for all parties involved.  

Facilitation of Strategic Planning Meetings and Retreats

ADR Options is uniquely qualified to plan, facilitate and recap municipal council, agency, and non-profit board retreats. Our facilitators bring a unique and holistic understanding of the dynamics and pressures among staff members, appointed boards, elected bodies, stakeholders, constituents and special interest groups. With our experience serving as elected city officials, senior level public sector attorneys and managers, non-profit CEO's, and chairs of non-profit 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) organizations, we have a thorough understanding of the authorizing environment within which each entity operates. ADR Options professionals focus on addressing the real issues and creating unifying outcomes that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of boards and councils, unlike some facilitation companies that focus on low value generic group exercises. When our facilitators interact with participants at virtually any level of responsibility, they are able to bring to bear their personal experience.

ADR Options also takes pride in the application of interest-based mediation techniques to identify the root causes of organizational conflict to assist groups or individuals in achieving durable conflict resolution. By both demonstrating and applying successful conflict resolution processes, we assist participants to better analyze issues from various stakeholder perspectives and to derive more reasoned policy decisions. Our facilitators are trained to focus on the real interests of the participants rather than reacting to positional statements. To debate an issue is to be wise; to debate the issues with an understanding of the parties' true interests is to be enlightened. ADR Options offers the experience to teach these skills to the parties as we work with them to idenity and solve organizational issues.

Facilitation of Labor-Management Negotiations

ADR Options facilitates win-win contract negotation and labor-management committee sessions using our tailored interest-based process design. Our facilitators are experienced in labor-management relationships and have applied our interest-based process with successful results in both public sector and private sector negotiations.

ADR Options provides neutral, third party facilitators to engage the participants in fair, even-handed, successful negotiations in which both sides get what they need -- and no one loses because they had to "trade" something they wanted for something the other side wanted. Contracts negotiated through the interest-based process can take more time to negotiate, but they are durable and typically result in substantial savings through reduced grievances and unfair labor practices.

To start the process, ADR Options asks the parties to establish a steering committee that includes leadership from each group. The steering committee works with ADR Options to generate a list of issues for negotiation, agendas and background for the negotiations. The steering committee also works with ADR Options to establish the negotiation agenda.

ADR Options generally provides joint training in interest-based processes to the parties who will be engaged in the negotiation. This prepares the parties for constructive agreement. Our facilitation of the negotiation then follows the processes taught in training. As neutral facilitators, ADR Options not only helps guide the negotiations but also provides joint notes for the parties, and these notes are approved by the entire group at each subsequent session.

ADR Options facilitation results in time and resource savings because the parties leave with a better understanding of the issues and each side's expectations, and with much greater familiarity with the contract provisions than occurs with typical labor-management bargaining.

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