Policy Consensus E-News — November/December 2006

If you are unable to properly view this email, please click here.

In this issue:

Arizona Leads the Way on Collaboration to Reduce Wildfire
Changes at Florida Consortium Reflect Changes in the Field
Case Study: How Maryland’s Program Helps Government Deal with Disputes
Maxwell School Conference Highlights Collaborative Public Management

Arizona Leaders Collaborate to Reduce Wildfire

White Mountains in Arizona Arizona has emerged as a leader in developing a collaborative, more holistic approach to forest health management and community protection. Leadership has come from all levels of government as well as from diverse stakeholders and citizens. Arizona’s Governor Napolitano both co-chairs the national effort as well as provides leadership within her state through forest health oversight and advisory councils.

The White Mountain Stewardship Contract exemplifies the goals of the recently adopted implementation plan to reduce wildfire. The contract is the first of its type in the country. Based on and around the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona, it offers a predictable supply of small-diameter wood for 10 years, and emphasizes large-scale forest restoration activities that promote healthier forests and reduce the fire threat to communities.

Florida State Consortium Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Florida's Emerald Coast Since the Consortium was created 20 years ago, it’s mission has changed. According to Consortium Director Bob Jones, the changes “reflect what is happening to practice within the field of public policy conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving.”

As an example of these changes, the Consortium is currently facilitating the Committee for a Sustainable Emerald Coast for the northwestern region of the Florida Panhandle. The Committee was initiated and convened by Senator Charlie Clary and Governor Bush through an executive order. Clary expressed high hopes for the recently created Committee for a Sustainable Emerald Coast, which will examine "where we want to be within the next 25 years."

This initiative is based on a similar effort convened by Senator Ken Pruitt, now Senate President, on Florida's southeast Treasure Coast. The two-year charge to the Committee is to bring back consensus on a 25-year plan that promotes sustainable growth and development, economic diversity, environmental stewardship and access to health care and education for this fast growing region. For information on the Committee visit their web site.

The Florida Conflict Resolution Consortium, based at Florida State University, was established by the state legislature 20 years ago. It was an outgrowth of a statewide commission on implementing Florida's new growth management laws. At the time of its creation, the Consortium’s mission of applied research and service focused on mediating conflicts between local governments and the state over creation and implementation of new comprehensive plans and policies.

Current efforts focus on consensus building, collaboration, and conflict prevention in a range of policy areas the state of Florida is grappling with as it continues to grow. These projects involve regional planning and visioning, intergovernmental coordination, planning and consensus building on transportation corridors, coastal development issues, rural and agricultural lands preservation and development, and water quantity and quality issues.

Case Study:
Maryland’s Program for Resolving Public Issues Is Producing Results

A new project that provides assistance to state and local government in resolving conflicts over public issues in Maryland is producing results. The Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO) recently assisted the Maryland Department of the Environment and other concerned parties to resolve issues surrounding issuance of a permit for expansion of activities at a stone quarry.

The dispute arose when the operator of a stone quarry, situated near the picturesque town of New Windsor in rural Carroll County, applied for a state air quality permit to install a 400-ton per hour stone crushing and screening plant. After hearing citizen concerns about noise, truck traffic, and air and water quality at an informational meeting, the state Department of the Environment contacted MACRO for help.

While the Department did not need citizen support to issue the permit, officials who had experienced similar disputes concluded it would be better to respond to the community’s concerns and reduce the likelihood of legal challenges to their decision.

Participating in the discussions, headed by Roger Wolf of the facilitation team, were the mayor, the county council, representatives of the Department, two citizens’ groups, and the Lehigh Cement Company. An important aspect of the discussions -- something that could not have happened under traditional air quality permitting procedures -- was that participants were able to discuss issues that went beyond the scope of the Department’s jurisdiction. Most but not all of the citizen’s concerns were addressed and the mayor and plant manager signed an agreement. The final permit hearing went smoothly and in August the state issued the air quality permit.

MACRO started its public policy conflict resolution project in 2004 and hired Linda Singer and Michael Lewis to train experienced Maryland mediators in the art of facilitating multi–party, complex, public policy cases. The trained mediators have worked as teams on several conflicts in Maryland. For more information about the program, contact Ramona Buck, Public Policy Director at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO).

Maxwell School of Syracuse University Holds Conference on Collaborative Public Management

Maxwell School of Syracuse University How does collaborative public management change what it means to be a leader? The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University recently sponsored a 3-day conference in Washington, DC, to consider this topic and its implications for the future of public administration.

The conference was the kick-off event for the Maxwell School’s new “Collaborative Governance Initiative” sponsored by the Program for the Analysis and Resolution of Conflicts, co-directed by Rosemary O’Leary and Catherine Gerard. The initiative is aimed at promoting new knowledge and understanding about collaborative public management, deliberative democracy, and civic engagement. In the summer of 2007, they will launch E PARC, an on-line site that will offer free resources for those who teach collaborative public management, collaborative governance, and collaborative problem solving around the world.

According to conference organizer Professor Rosemary O’Leary, the world of public administration has changed dramatically in recent years, and the Maxwell School organized this conference as part of its commitment to meeting the resulting challenges. “Technological innovations such as the Internet, globalism that permits us to outsource anywhere abroad, devolution that may bring intergovernmental conflict, and new ideas from network theory have changed the business of government. Public managers now find themselves not as unitary leaders of unitary organizations. Instead, they find themselves convening, facilitating, negotiating, mediating, and collaborating across boundaries.”

Forty scholars and practitioners gathered in Washington to examine current knowledge about collaborative public management and to weigh its implications for teaching and research. Participants included a range of researchers and professional practitioners.

Conference attendees concluded that the prevalence of network management, contracting out, and greater collaboration with citizens have altered the dynamics of public administration. Future executives must master skills in negotiation, bargaining, facilitation, conflict resolution, collaborative problem solving, and consensus building to effectively manage in this evolving environment. Additionally, education programs should incorporate more service learning and connection with practitioners to create direct feedback loops that encourage the use of best practices and direct further research.

Georgetown University Press will publish papers from the conference as a book, as well as in special issues of Public Administration Review, International Public Management Journal, and Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, which will focus on this growing field of research.

Share PolicyConsenus E-News with your leaders and colleagues by forwarding this edition to them. Or, direct them to www.policyconsensus.org, where they can sign up to receive it in their own e-mail inbox!