Directory of Programs

The Center’s purpose is to foster infrastructure, habits, and capacities for more effective civic engagement and innovative public decision making. The Mathews Center is focused on how citizens create political will and sustain public policy community decisions. 

Resource Solutions is a program of the University of Alaska Anchorage's Office of Community Partnerships which provides assistance for decision making on public issues specializing in constructive approaches using collaborative problem solving, capacity building and research. Resource Solutions also provides consultations, convening, and customized trainings to build agreement among competing interests, with a primary focus on important public issues, jump-starting new projects or initiatives, or when changes are needed to meet new circumstances. 

The Udall Center's environmental and public policy conflict resolution work emphasizes multistakeholder policy dialogues on contentious environmental issues. The Center facilitates forums, sponsors training workshops on facilitation and mediation, develops educational tools, and responds to requests for design and facilitation of public participation processes and policy dialogues. 

The mandate of the Participatory Governance Initiative at Arizona State University is to promote excellence, collaboration, and innovation in participatory governance teaching, research and practice. The Participatory Governance Initiative is a university-wide interdisciplinary space that aims at bringing together academics, students, elected and non-elected government officials, community members and practitioners interested in the theory and practice of participatory governance. Special attention is paid to the examination of emerging trends and innovative experiments around the world that are relevant to the realities of governance and public engagement in the 21st century. 

The Graduate Certificate in Collaborative Governance is designed for those who work in government, non-profit organizations or the corporate sector where cooperation with other institutions, stakeholders and the public at large is important. The certificate program prepares students to effectively participate in and manage collaboration across institutional and sectoral boundaries in an increasingly networked world. 

The Center assists Arkansas leaders, citizens, and organizations with inclusive discourse and effective collaborations on public issues. The Center provides an information clearinghouse on collaborative governance, assessment, facilitation, consultation, training, and education. In addition, the Center sponsors forums on public issues. Primary Activities: Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term) and Technical Assistance. Primary Audiences: Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Nonprofits and Foundations. 

Common Ground helps government entities, agencies, private sector organizations, nonprofits, and communities come together and work out solutions to public policy issues including land use, water quality, health, education, and transportation. In order to accomplish this work, Common Ground provides facilitation and mediation services, educates communities and organizations in order to build capacity in collaboration, and conducts and conveys research on what helps and hinders cooperative process and solutions. 

A joint program of CSU-Sacramento and McGeorge School of Law, the Center provides a variety of dispute resolution services to state agencies and the legislative branch. The mission of the Center is to build the capacity of public agencies, stakeholder groups, and the public to use collaborative strategies to improve policy outcomes. 

Hastings established CNDR in 2003 to organize classes, research opportunities and professional programs for the study of negotiation, mediation and arbitration. CNDR offers specialized dispute resolution training to public agencies like the California Public Utilities Commission. 

The purpose of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership is to support municipal and civic leaders - through training, grant-making, and consulting – as they intentionally engage their residents in public problem solving.  

The University of Colorado Conflict Research Consortium is a multi-disciplinary center for research and teaching about conflict and its transformation. The Consortium uses rapidly advancing information technologies to provide citizens with the information that they need to deal with conflicts more constructively.  

The Institute is home to the Graduate Program and the Center for Research and Practice. The Center for Research and Practice encourages theoretic and applied research on methods for conflict prevention and conflict transformation based on ethical standards of justice and fairness, and actively engages the community to expand public awareness of peaceful techniques for resolving disputes to improve societal relations and levels of trust between individuals, within organizations, and across cultures. Primary Activities: Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term), Research, Evaluation and Project Management. Primary Audiences: University (faculty and graduate students), Nonprofits and Foundations.  

The Institute on the Common Good at Regis University serves the community at-large by promoting the common good and providing a safe and effective space for community dialogue, communal discernment, and public deliberation. The Institute will sponsor public and private forums for the discussion of significant social issues. Its intent is to promote the long-term good of the greater community of Denver and the Rocky Mountain West through the discovery of common ground for addressing these issues. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term), Research, Evaluation, Project Management and Technical Assistance. Primary Audiences: University (faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students), Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (state, county, local/city), Nonprofits, Foundations, Businesses and K-12 Education.  

The Center for Public Deliberation, which is within the Speech Communication Department at Colorado State University, serves as an affiliate of the National Issues Forum (NIF) network. Working from a communication perspective, CPD staff and students focus on the process of deliberation. The Center is dedicated to providing these three key ingredients to Northern Colorado: safe places for citizens to come together, good and fair information to help structure the conversation, and skilled facilitators to guide the process. Primary Activities: Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term), Research and Project Management. Primary Audiences: Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Nonprofits, Foundations, Businesses and K-12 Education. Activities in Development: Policy Development, Implementation of Policy, Evaluation and Technical Assistance. Audiences in Development: University and Agency Officials. 

Supports transformational and organizational change using democratic practices in non-profit, public, government, and educational settings. This is done primarily through the teaching and promotion of effective communication, collaborative problem solving, shared decision-making, and conflict resolution. 

See description of Florida Conflict Resolution Consortium (Main Office) at Florida State University 

The FCRC Consensus Center, based at Florida State University in Tallahassee and University of Central Florida in Orlando, provides consensus building and conflict resolution services, education, training and research to build broader understanding of the value of collaborative approaches. The Center offers neutral technical assistance to a wide range of professionals, agency staff and private citizens and organizations engaged in public problems throughout Florida and helps to design and implement efforts for intergovernmental collaboration, community and public problem-solving, and land use and environmental dispute resolution. 

The Center for Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University provides conflict management services, including mediation, facilitation, and workshops to the campus and to other clients. The Center also serves at a home to the faculty, staff, and student ombuds at KSU. 

CNCR is an inter institutional, interdisciplinary program supporting theory building and practice in conflict prevention and resolution. Among the Consortium's goals is promoting the study of complex, multi-party, public policy disputes, particularly those involving the natural environment. CNCR's research program is coordinated through the City Planning Program at Georgia Tech. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term), Research and Evaluation. Primary Audiences: University (administration and faculty), Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (state, county, local/city), Nonprofits and Foundations.  

CNCR is an inter-institutional, interdisciplinary program supporting theory building and practice in conflict prevention and resolution. Provides conflict resolution and education, mediation, facilitation, dispute systems design, and consulting services within the university system of Georgia, and in community and private sector settings, domestic and international.  

The Fanning Institute, a multidisciplinary outreach unit within Public Service and Outreach at the University of Georgia, works with communities of all types, within and outside of Georgia. With expertise in community, economic, and leadership development, the faculty and staff of the Fanning Institute provide rich, customized approaches to develop skilled community leaders, create vibrant communities, and promote prosperous economies. Because every challenge is different, Fanning faculty and staff create customized approaches and bridge University resources and community needs. 

Engages in research that furthers the understanding of disputing and dispute settlement practices. Encourages the practice and testing of a variety of dispute resolution procedures with an emphasis on Asia and the Pacific. Also offers training and workshops in conflict resolution, cross-cultural conflict, negotiation, and gender and conflict to individuals and organizations across the state. Provides training and services on conflict resolution for the University of Hawaii system. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term), Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance. Primary Audiences: University (administration, faculty, undergraduate students), Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (state, county, local/city), Nonprofits, Foundations and K-12 Education. 

Provides information about conflict resolution to people throughout the state and to professionals in the field. Staff members are involved in research and investigations, which they add to the clearinghouse of information on conflict resolution programs used locally, nationally, and internationally. 

The Center for Urban Policy and the Environment works in partnership with community leaders, business and civic organizations, nonprofits, and government. Using applied research, data analysis, and facilitation, Center analysts help leaders understand the critical choices facing them in public policy, healthcare, economic development, criminal justice, and land use. The Center supplies relevant, timely analysis to develop strategies that can strengthen organizations and improve the quality of life in communities. The Center was created by the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 1992.  

Contracts to provide mediation training to state managers for handling conflict. At this time they provide six core mediation training seminars a year. 

To promote engagement across the breadth of Kansas State University - in teaching, research, and outreach - and to connect the vast resources of KSU to the significant issues of public need facing Kansas and communities worldwide. 

A non-partisan, non-ideological policy center that conducts practical applied policy research on the issues and challenges facing Northern Kentucky, the Commonwealth, and the region. Also uses the university's resources to increase the capacity of local governments to address the challenges of growth and development within their communities; facilitates thoughtful public debate and innovative thinking about challenges and their possible solutions through the publication of research and the dissemination of findings through public forums and discussions; and supports elected and appointed officials and public sector administrators and managers already in public service through its Public Leadership programs. 

Provides policymakers, practitioners and the general public with information and analysis to educate and inform decision-making and implementation. Public forums and events inform and engage the community and provide a non-partisan meeting ground for discussion and debate. Also provides training in consensus building and leadership to many of the Muskie School's external constituencies. 

The mission of Maine Solutions is to address community-based issues through sustainable solutions that support social, economic, environmental, and community objectives. These solutions are built through the collaborative efforts of businesses, government, and non-profit organizations. Maine Solutions provides the mechanism and the place for this type of problem-solving to occur.  

Provides services to the courts, with plans to become a major service provider to state agencies. Produces a directory of Maryland ADR practitioners which is available to state agencies and other interested groups and individuals. 

The center provides education, training and services in the broad field of negotiations and conflict prevention, management and resolution.  

In partnership with the University of Massachusetts-Boston, MOPC provides research opportunities for faculty, and practical training and internships for students on multi-party public policy disputes and the use of collaborative approaches in the public sector. It provides a variety of ADR services to all branches of state government and municipalities. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Implementation of Policy, Training (short-term), Evaluation, Project Management and Technical Assistance. Primary Audiences: University (administration), Elected Officials (state and local/city), Agency Officials (state and local/city), Nonprofits, Foundations and Businesses.  

PDP is based at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School (PON). PON is an inter-university consortium (Harvard, MIT, and Tufts) devoted to improving the theory and practice of dispute resolution. PDP's goal is primarily theory-building. To apply the ideas developed at PDP, PDP has spun off The Consensus Building Institute (CBI). This is a not-for-profit firm, established in 1993, that provides dispute resolution services around the world. 

Research and training in collaboration and negotiation, including a recent partnership with the USDA Forest Service to develop a collaboration and partnership resource website that includes case studies highlighting collaborative ecosystem-management efforts and lessons learned from a broad set of partnerships. The Ecosystem Management Initiative is housed in the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. 

The Institute integrates public engagement and scholarship to address important issues facing Minnesota, the nation, and the world in a non-partisan setting. The Center for the Study of Politics and Governance plays a convening role, bringing academics and community leaders together for public decision-making and problem-solving and offering a wide array of public events and programs to promote an informed and engaged citizenry. The Center for Democracy and Citizenship develops citizenship initiatives around the concept of public work. 

Offers DR training for lawyers, law students, and other professionals. Provides evaluation services for the Minnesota Supreme Court. Students in the program provide ADR services for the state Department of Human Resources as well as conciliation services for several county courts.  

University of Missouri Extension helps people create communities of the future. Community development education helps citizens tap into local strengths and University resources. Community Development is divided into five major themes:Community Leadership Development, Community Decision Making, Economic Viability, Building Inclusive Communities, and Community Emergency Preparedness. Provides programs and curriculum materials for training communities in deliberative methods and moderating skills for public forums. 

The Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution (CSDR) was established in 1984 within the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law to promote greater understanding of conflict and conflict resolution in the legal profession and in society at large and to develop new forms of lawyering.  

The Center works closely with faculty from all UM-St. Louis colleges, and with other University centers and institutes. PPRC focuses its resources on issues related to neighborhood and community development; economic vitality; governance (at the local, county, and regional levels); land-use and transportation policy planning; and health, education and social policy. PPRC resources are primarily focused on the bi-state, metropolitan St. Louis region. Despite this geographic focus, the Center occasionally engages in state, national or international projects if they fall within the mission. 

The Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy is an applied research and education center at The University of Montana. The Center is impartial and non-partisan. It is not an advocate for any particular interest or outcome. The goal of the Center is to shape policy for people and places – including urban, rural, working, and wild landscapes. We believe that the most effective way to do this is through public processes that are well informed and provide meaningful opportunities for all interested citizens, stakeholders, and decision-makers to participate.  

CPACS engages with the community through a wide array of community and outreach programs and partnerships. 

The Werner Institute for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at Creighton University School of Law delivers facilitation, mediation, and consulting services to public stakeholders and policymakers through the Public Issues Collaboration Initiative (PIC). PIC provides leadership, expertise and assistance to public policymakers and stakeholders who wish to achieve effective collaborations and avert costly, prolonged, unproductive disputes. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Implementation of Policy, Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term) and Project Management. Primary Audiences: University (faculty and graduate students), Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (state, county, local/city), Nonprofits, Foundations and K-12 Education.  

At the heart of nearly all the Public Policy Center’s activities is the belief that the public is an important stakeholder in policy decisions. The Public Policy Center enriches policy dialogue through deliberative discussions, information seminars and presentations, community conversations, and surveys. These dialogues and information sharing sessions often include policymakers and have resulted in changes in policy and a more informed and engaged public. 

The Center provides courses, symposia, and trainings related to conflict resolution while fostering scholarship and law reform work in the field.  

The Democracy Imperative (TDI) is a national network of multidisciplinary faculty members, campus leaders, and civic leaders who are committed to strengthening public life and democracy in and through higher education. We work to increase (1) understanding about democracy’s ideals and challenges, (2) the capacity of individuals to participate in a deliberative democracy, and (3) the role of colleges and universities as models of democratic leadership, decision-making and change. We sponsor national conferences, regional meetings, workshops, and working groups. Membership is free.  

Serves as a resource both in and outside New Jersey for those interested in the theory and practice of conflict resolution. CNCR offers seminars, lectures, conferences and customized programs. It also works with groups that have a vital interest in improving the way disputes are managed, such as the judiciary, the Office of the Attorney-General, state government and bar associations. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term), Research and Technical Assistance. Primary Audiences: University (administration, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students), Elected Officials (state and county), Nonprofits, Foundations, Businesses and K-12 Education.  

Through regional seminars and an online course, the Institute of Public Law's Judicial Education Center supports the introduction of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms into the judicial system. IPL works with community groups to train members on how to achieve their public policy agenda by using advocacy techniques, including town meetings or using other techniques to assess what the group members would like to achieve in terms of public policy, legislative or administrative advocacy, social marketing to change individual behavior in public policy and dissemination of information critical to citizens in order to make informed policy choices. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Implementation of Policy, Training (short-term), Project Management and Technical Assistance. Primary Audiences: State Elected and Agency Officials, Nonprofits and Foundations. Activities in Development: Teaching and Research. Audiences in Development: Elected Officials and Agency Officials. 

The PNCR, often working in collaboration with other components of the university, serves as a convenor of consensus building processes and dialogues related to public policy and public affairs. Applications have included consensus development of legislation and regulations, sponsorship of fora for developing greater understanding of policy issues, mediation of local or organizational disputes, planning and implementation of public participation programs, and facilitation of meetings.  

The Center for Policy Research was formally established in September 1987. The primary focus of the Center is for public policy research and analysis within the University community. It serves multidisciplinary, cross-departmental, and University-wide roles, and promotes the goal of increasing the University's level of sponsored research activity. The Center promotes, encourages, and supports significant policy-related research of both fundamental and applied character. Research focusing on issues at all levels of government (international, national, state, regional, and local) is encouraged. 

Resources in North Carolina for dispute resolution. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Implementation of Policy, Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term), Research, Evaluation, Project Management and Technical Assistance. Primary Audiences: University (graduate students), Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (state, county, local/city), Nonprofits and Foundations.  

Provides training and development in public dispute resolution and participatory decision-making to extension educators, government agency staff, elected officials and citizens. Cooperative Extension also provides facilitation and mediation assistance to government organizations and others for managing conflict over environmental issues, and aiding collaborative decision-making. Offers a leadership development program with a focus on conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Implementation of Policy, Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term), Evaluation and Project Management. Primary Audiences: Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (federal, state, county), Non-profits organizations and Business and Industry.  

Provides training and development in public dispute resolution and participatory decision-making to extension educators, government agency staff, elected officials and citizens. Cooperative Extension also provides facilitation and mediation assistance to government organizations and others for managing conflict over environmental issues, and aiding collaborative decision-making. Offers a leadership development program with a focus on conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Implementation of Policy, Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term), Evaluation and Project Management. Primary Audiences: Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (federal, state, county), Non-profits organizations and Business and Industry.  

Housed within Cleveland State's Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs. The Forum hosts speakers, panelists, and discussions on critical issues that impact Northeast Ohio. Since its inception in 1998, the Forum has hosted events on a broad range of civic issues including the lakefront plan, economic growth and development, affordable housing, immigration, education, the convention center, poverty, race and sustainable development. The work of the forum is based on the premise that an informed and engaged citizenry is a valuable asset for the region's future growth and prosperity. 

OAMP is the USDA certified mediation provider for the State of Oklahoma. Authorized by the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 and Oklahoma statutes, mediation is an effective way to settle disputes in many different areas, including farm loans and farm programs, agricultural credit issues, and agriculturally and environmentally related issues. OAMP helps agricultural producers, their lenders, and other people who have received an adverse decision from the USDA resolve their disputes without a hearing or appeal. OAMP provides free mediation services to all individuals, businesses and state and federal agencies that are engaged in production agriculture, and agriculturally or environmentally related activities. Our professional mediators and facilitators work across the state.  

Provides neutral conflict resolution service to state and federal agencies, the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon Courts, tribal governments, local governments and a variety of stakeholders involved in issues related to development and application of public policies in Oregon. The Program incorporates components of the former Oregon Public Policy Dispute Resolution Program of the Oregon Dispute Resolution Commission, which were transferred to the Hatfield School by the 2003 Legislature. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Training (short-term), Research, Evaluation, Project Management, Technical Assistance and Collaborative Planning/Problem Solving. Primary Audiences: University (graduate students), Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (state, county, local/city, federal), Nonprofits, Foundations and Businesses.  

Oregon Solutions is a program at Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government that integrates and leverages public, private, and civic resources for community-based projects. Oregon Solutions provides a structure and process for collaboration, showing that public solutions are best achieved when government, the business sector, and civic organizations work together. Oregon Solutions engages diverse project teams to leverage resources in sustainable community projects. Primary Activities: Implementation of Policy, Training (short-term) and Project Management. Primary Audiences: University (graduate students), Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (state, county, local/city), Nonprofits, Foundations and Businesses. Activities in Development: Evaluation. Audiences in Development: K-12 Education.  

The ADR Center promotes wisdom in handling conflict. Established in 2002, the Center is housed in the University of Oregon School of Law. We serve the entire university, as well as the state of Oregon. Housed out of the Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center of the University of Oregon's School of Law are: the Oregon Office for Community Dispute Resolution administrates state funds to 20 community programs in 25 Oregon counties; Conflict and Dispute Resolution Masters degree program; Competition Not Conflict, an initiative to reduce destructive conflict in sport and to promote the positive values of competition. Primary Activities: Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term) and Research. Primary Audiences: University (administration, faculty, graduate students).  

Conducts research on conflict, negotiation, coalition formation, and multiparty collaboration. Also provides DR services including training, facilitation, mediation, conflict assessment and organizational development to a variety of academic and administrative units across the university as well as to public and private organizations within Pennsylvania and throughout the world. 

Project convenes forums with hundreds of civic leaders and ordinary citizens, to identify the key issues the region needs to work on to get there. It also includes reporting, research and public forums on possible solutions and innovations that have worked, in Philadelphia or elsewhere. 

Provides conflict resolution services, including education and training. The Center is a not-for-profit organization of professionals who focus on state and local government and are dedicated to the stewardship of conflict resolution in state and local government, the UT community, and the public.  

The Center serves governments, the community and the public by providing research, education, and services to public and nonprofit organizations. Education programs include organizational development interventions including organizational assessments and leadership and management development training. We offer communities in Utah technical assistance in community planning, training and resource documents for citizen planners.  

In addition to mediation services, the Woodbury Dispute Resolution Center also offers meeting facilitation, program consultation, training and workshops. 

Works with localities, state and federal agencies, citizen organizations, and businesses to resolve conflicts and build consensus for complex policy choices involving land use and the natural and built environment. IEN is affiliated with the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning in the University of Virginia School of Architecture. 

ICAR is an academic resource for people and institutions worldwide. It comprises a community of scholars, graduate students, alumni, practitioners, and organizations in the field of peace making and conflict resolution. Advances the understanding of conflicts between individuals, groups, organizations, and communities in the United States and all over the world through research, teaching, practice, and outreach; Studies the nature, origins, and types of social conflicts; Develops processes and conditions for the resolution of conflicts. 

As a joint effort of Washington State University and the University of Washington, the Center’s mission is to act as a neutral resource for collaborative problem solving in the region. The Center provides expertise that improves the availability and quality of voluntary collaborative approaches to policy development and multi-party dispute resolution. Center services include conflict assessment and neutral forums; capacity building activities such as training and systems design; and research that frames issues and advances the effectiveness of collaborative processes. Primary Activities: Policy Development, Implementation of Policy, Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Training (short-term), Research, Evaluation and Project Management. Primary Audiences: Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (state, county, local/city), Nonprofits, Foundations and Businesses.  

The Pacific Northwest Natural Resources Leadership Academy provides training in collaborative leadership skills to state and federal resource protection and program/policy professionals involving interest based problem solving, collaboration, group facilitation, community oriented resource protection modeling and advanced communication skills. 

The Ruckelshaus Institute helps to assure informed decision-making on environmental and natural resource issues affecting the West by promoting collaborative approaches that sustain both the economy and the environment. Primary Activities: Teaching (graduate and undergraduate courses), Research and Evaluation. Primary Audiences: University (undergraduate and graduate students), Elected Officials (state, county, local/city), Agency Officials (state and county), Nonprofits and Foundations. Activities in Development: Training (short-term). Audiences in Development: Businesses.