Policy Consensus E-News — April 2004
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Washington State Establishes
New Dispute Resolution Resource Center
In
a joint effort between Washington State University and the University
of Washington, the tentatively named Policy Consensus Center is scheduled
to open its doors this Fall. The Center will be a neutral source of information
and resources for problem-solving in the region, and will help stakeholders
work together to build consensus and resolve conflicts around difficult
public policy issues.
Chaired by William Ruckelshaus, former administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Center will provide training, research and referrals to improve the availability and quality of collaborative approaches to multi-party disputes and policy development. Co-directors are Jon Brock of UW's Evans School of Public Affairs and Rob McDaniel of WSU Extension.
The concept for the Center was developed by adapting the lessons of other dispute resolution centers to the needs and contexts of Washington State. Center staff conducted interviews with more than two dozen directors of similar dispute resolution centers throughout the country, had extensive discussions with faculty and university officials, and consulted with more than 200 state and regional leaders in government, agriculture, tribes, environmental groups and industry throughout the state.
The Center's mission includes research, capacity-building, and response. Its work will add to the stock of knowledge about problem resolution; provide training and information on collaboration and dispute resolution; and offer conflict assessment and resource brokering to bring the best and most appropriate resources to a given issue—including reliance on the state’s strong, existing mediation community.
The Center held its first board meeting in March, and recently completed two pilot projects. Two additional pilot projects are currently in progress.
For more information about the Center, contact Jon Brock or Rob McDaniel.
PCI Hosts Spring Workshop:
"New Strategies for Changing Times"
A
PCI workshop for state public policy dispute resolution programs is scheduled
for Thursday, May 20, in Portland, OR. The meeting takes place the day
preceding ACR's Environment and Public Policy Section mid-year conference, Leadership
Forum 2004: Challenges and Strategies for Environmental and Public Policy
Conflict Resolution, on May 21 and 22.
The PCI workshop will focus on three key topical areas
- Employing a New Strategy: Using issues to advance collaborative problem solving in states;
- The Evolution of University-Based Consensus Centers: Places for convening and mediating; and
- Getting Smart about Communications—Who do you need to reach and what's your message?
To sign up for this day-long workshop, download the registration form and submit to PCI by April 9.
CASE STUDY:
Regional Conflict in Utah
Leads Legislature to Consensus Process
The following case, excerpted from an article by Utah State Representative and PCI/NPPC Board member Ralph Becker, sheds light on how circumstances lead the State Legislature to employ a consensus process with surprising results. The case illustrates how consensus building can be successfully applied to a controversial issue.
In
2003, a dispute between the City of Draper and the Metropolitan Water
District of Salt Lake City was brought to the General Session of the
Utah Legislature. The Water District had acquired property to build a
regional water treatment facility. Draper had recently completed a General
Plan and zoned the property for future commercial use; a water treatment
plant was not a permitted use in the commercial zone.
Located near an interchange along I-15, Utah's busiest highway, the property was considered a key parcel to provide commercial activities and a tax base for fast-growing Draper. Yet the two governmental entities had not coordinated their planning. Because the property was not zoned for a water treatment facility, the Water District could not build the facility without Draper’s approval through a zoning change. Draper refused to make the zone change.
The Water District, believing it did not have a viable alternative to the site it had acquired, went to the Utah Legislature to seek exemption from zoning requirements.
The Legislature became the forum for a lobbying blitz and arbiter for the dispute. Hours of legislators' time were consumed listening to both sides of the issue in committees and floor debates. The bill crawled through the legislative process until both sides blinked and—outside the halls of the Capitol—agreed on a settlement that would rezone the property in exchange for hefty payments to Draper City for infrastructure improvements and the dedication of ground to public purposes.
Governing Tools for the 21st Century
More
and more state government agencies across the country are employing collaborative
processes in their day-to-day operations. Governors, legislatures, and
agency leaders are recognizing that these processes provide effective
ways of governing and working with citizens.
The spectrum of approaches—joint problem solving, consensus building, negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution—ranges from parties informally negotiating on their own, to multiple stakeholder groups who work with facilitators or mediators to help reach agreements.
PCI's Governing Tools for the 21st Century, first published in 2002, provides an overview of how these processes are being used in states to achieve better outcomes. The booklet describes some of the ways collaborative tools are being applied to administrative functions (including contracts and partnering); regulation and enforcement; licensing and permitting; policymaking; intergovernmental relations; and human resource management.
Hard copies of the booklet are available for distribution to leaders or meeting participants. Please contact PCI to request copies.
A PDF version is also available on this website.
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