Policy Consensus E-News — November 2005

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In this issue:

PCI / NPCC Launch the Public Solutions System on Line
Maryland Posters Available to Promote the Value of Mediation
PCI / NPCC Board Member Heads Ohio Department of Aging
Training Manual on Getting the Most Out of Collaboration for Public Officials

Policyconsensus.org Features 'Public Solutions System'

The updated PCI / NPCC website, launched earlier this month, features the Public Solutions System as a model for convening the public, private and civic sectors to develop effective, lasting solutions to public problems that go beyond what any sector can achieve on its own. The new web-based tools include:

An overview of the System's key elements
A description of the System and its applications
Components of the Public Solutions "Operating System"
A guide to the System's principles and network
Resources for leaders and conveners who want to initiate or sponsor use of the Public Solutions System
Resources for practitioners and forums who design and implement collaborative public processes.

The website also includes an updated directory of public policy programs. Please visit the Directory to review the listings in your state, and reply to PCI with any changes or corrections.

Board Member Kearns Named to Ohio Department of Aging

PCI NPCC Board member Merle Grace Kearns PCI / NPCC Board member Merle Grace Kearns was recently named Director of the Ohio Department of Aging. Kearns accepted the appointment during her third term in the House of Representatives, where she was Majority Floor Leader.

Prior to being elected to the House, Kearns served in the Ohio Senate from 1991 to 2000, three of those years as Majority Whip. Throughout her Senate and House terms, she was named "Legislator of the Year" by 10 different organizations in Ohio. Kearns received extensive recognition during her many years as an advocate for health and human services.

In her new position at the Department of Aging, Kearns said she will work to implement important new human services initiatives approved by the 2005 Legislature.

In establishing and advancing these new initiatives, Kearns says she plans to apply the consensus models she has long used in the Senate and House. "There are a lot of interests involved in health and human services matters, not just in state government, but among a variety of health care providers and family members facing difficult decisions about how to care for their loved ones," she said.

With the trend toward greater longevity, Kearns said, the issues and stakeholder involvement will only grow more complex. "The number of Americans age 85 and over is expected to swell to 7.3 million by 2020. By 2050, there will be 21 million people age 85 and above, accounting for 5 percent of the population. In Ohio, by 2050, 55 percent of our population will be over 65."

Especially in light of these statistics, she said, "we have to stay focused on the best, most productive ways to serve as many people as possible."

Maryland Posters Promote Mediation

As part of a concerted public awareness plan, the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office has developed a series of four-color posters for use in a statewide campaign promoting the value of mediation in conflicts involving family and custody, business, small claims, neighbor, community, school, and the workplace.

Twenty-four different posters, which use humor and everyday conflict scenarios, will be available in three sizes: an 8-inch by 11-inch flyer, an 11 x 17 tabloid, and a 19 x 27 poster. Courtesy of MACRO, the posters will be distributed for free in Maryland and will be available at cost nationally. Non-profit organizations — including state offices of dispute resolution, university programs, community mediation centers, courts, and other government entities— will be able to customize the text at the bottom of the posters to include their names, logos and contact information.

Prospective buyers eventually will be able to view and order the posters on line, and have them shipped directly from the printer. A link for the ordering is available on MACRO's website. MACRO hopes the posters will be displayed in communities, schools and libraries, government work locations, courts, and in other places with a high volume of traffic. In the meantime contact MACRO at 410-841-2260 for information about how to obtain the posters.

Getting the Most Out of Consensus Processes

The PCI Trainer's Manual —designed as "A Workshop for Public Officials" — provides essential information for individuals, public agencies, or organizations who sponsor or participate in collaborative process. The manual is presented in eight modules that cover best practices in collaborative or consensus building process.

While all the modules can be used in a single training, workshop sponsors can also pick and choose the appropriate ones to use, depending on their audience and the amount of time available. The modules are presented in a 3-ring binder so workshop leaders can insert their own materials, change the order of the exercises, or remove those they don't plan to use. At minimum, if all the modules are used, the workshop takes about six hours. With the use of panels and more time for small group interaction, the workshop can last between seven and eight hours.

The Manual is available individually for $60, or it can be purchased as part of a $75 package that also includes PCI's Practical Guide to Consensus (a "how-to" book for sponsors, practitioners, and public officials) and two training videos featuring successful consensus processes in Oregon and Maryland.