Policy Consensus E-News — June 2005
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In this issue:
- Report Describes Increasing Role of Universities as Consensus Building Centers
- State, Federal Agencies Attend PCI Workshop on ‘Getting the Most from Collaboration’
- Maine Working Group Sponsors Forum to Advance Use of Community Collaboration
Report Describes Increasing Role of Universities as
Neutral Forums for Collaborative Problem Solving
PCI
and NPCC have published a report on the emerging role of universities as
forums for collaborative approaches to public policymaking. The 20-page
report is based on a PCI survey of 42 dispute resolution and consensus
building programs housed in universities in 35 states.
In the past decade, the role of universities as neutral forums and providers of conflict resolution and consensus building services has grown significantly. Numerous universities across the country now offer service, research, and training. And more programs are emerging each year.
In his foreword to the report, William D. Ruckelshaus, who served as the first EPA administrator, writes: “I am convinced that every state would benefit from having at least one university offering its intellectual assets and process expertise to assist citizens and governments in resolving disputes.” Ruckelshaus has himself helped establish two such programs, one at the University of Wyoming and the other, the Washington Policy Consensus Center, is a joint program of the University of Washington and Washington State University.
Charles B. Reed, Chancellor for the California State University and a PCI/NPCC Board member, explains in his foreword: “As university leaders, we need to find new ways to fulfill the university mission of serving the public and improving the lives of our citizens. The university can serve as a forum for the discussion and critical examination of ideas and issues. We can have a positive effect in important areas of public concern that overlap with our public service mission.”
Download the University Report (406 KB PDF), or order free hard copies by contacting PCI.
PCI Hosts Workshops for State and Federal Agency Leaders
on “Getting the Most Out of Collaboration”
More
than 40 people from state and federal agencies and dispute resolution
programs across the country attended a recent PCI / NPCC workshop on
convening collaborative processes. The workshop, “Getting the Most
out of Collaboration,” was scheduled as part of the U.S. Institute
for Environmental Conflict Resolution’s national conference in
May.
Based on the success and feedback from this initial workshop, PCI and NPCC now offer the program as a national training for leaders and others interested in collaborative approaches to policy and decision making.
Federal agencies represented at the workshop included the USDA Forest Service, Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Seven states sent representatives from agencies, including departments of the environment, natural resources, conservation and recreation, forestry, fish and wildlife, and others.
Joe Maroon, Director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, said the workshop provided a unique opportunity for exposure to what’s going on in other states. “As a state official, I’ve seen some real benefits to facilitated, collaborative discussions,” he said. “I have been part of some very successful efforts, and other cases that were not so successful.” He said the PCI/NPCC workshop offered tools applicable to initiatives his department is undertaking in Virginia, including a collaborative water quality program, and regulatory initiatives relating to dam safety, nutrient management, and stormwater management.
Maine Working Group Focuses on Advancing
State, Community Use of Collaborative Practices
 Maine State Rep. Ted Koffman |
Furthering their goal of more systematic and strategic use of consensus-based policymaking, the Maine Collaborative Practices Working Group in June sponsored a forum aimed at increasing awareness of these approaches, identifying opportunities, and assessing prospects for using more collaborative approaches to governance in Maine.
The one-day forum brought together more than 70 representatives of state, local and regional government, as well as nonprofits, community groups, and business. Their goal was to share knowledge, build a peer network, and begin developing strategies to strengthen and advance the use of collaborative practices in Maine.
Maine Rep. Theodore Koffman, a member of the Working Group who gave opening remarks at the forum, said the meeting was an invaluable opportunity for participants to sharpen their collaborative problem solving skills and explore ideas for promoting consensus-based approaches in a more robust way in Maine.
Maine has used collaborative problem solving and negotiating for several decades on such issues as transportation, economic development, environmental, and tax-reform, Koffman said. But, he added, finding more systematic and effective ways of applying these processes – particularly for term-limited legislators – could be an important next-step for the state.
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