Policy Consensus E-News — September 2003
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PCI Newsletter Goes Electronic
Welcome to Policy Consensus E-News, an on-line newsletter produced collaboratively by PCI and the National Policy Consensus Center (NPCC). We have switched to an electronic format to reach more people and programs interested in the dispute resolution activities of states. The monthly E-News will continue to provide features and updates on state dispute resolution programs and personnel, as well as events and announcements from PCI and NPCC.
We are eager for your feedback on this new format, and your ideas for articles and improvements. Please contact us or call PCI at 505-725-9096 and let us know what you think! To change or manage your mailing address visit the Newsletter section of PolicyConsensus.org.
PCI Moves to Portland
In
early July, the Policy Consensus Initiative consolidated its program
and operations and moved to Portland, Oregon. The PCI office is now co-located
with its sister organization, the National
Policy Consensus Center, at Portland State University's Center for
Urban and Public Affairs. NPCC Executive Director Greg
Wolf, formerly an advisor on dispute resolution to Oregon Governor
John Kitzhaber, said co-locating with PCI will strengthen the quality
of information and resources on consensus building for state leaders
and state dispute resolution programs. From Portland, PCI will continue
its mission of working with states to establish and strengthen the use
of collaborative practices in state government. Chris
Carlson is PCI's Executive Director. Former PCI Co-Executive Director
Dick Gross now serves as Deputy Director and Legal Counsel for Consensus
Council, Inc., a nonprofit program in North Dakota.
NPCC Fellows Available to State Programs
The
National Policy Consensus Center and PCI are offering opportunities for
state leaders to meet with the Center's distinguished fellows to explore
ways to employ collaboration and consensus building. NPCC's Fellows Program
is made up of former public officials who assist the Center and PCI in
communicating with state leaders about how collaborative methods can
be applied to specific issues affecting states.
Fellow Lang Marsh, for example, has a long history as an environmental leader. He served as Director of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Commissioner of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. In 2002, Marsh organized and authored the Center's colloquium and published recommendations on Watershed Solutions: Collaborative Problem Solving for States and Communities, which identifies best practices from successful watershed initiatives around the United States. Marsh is currently working to develop a network of states interested in forming state-local collaborations to achieve sustainable solutions to issues—solutions that simultaneously involve economic, environmental and social objectives. Marsh met recently with state program personnel in Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire to identify opportunities for forming sustainable-solutions demonstration projects.
To learn about other NPCC Fellows and the issues they are working on, or to find out how your state can meet with a Fellow, contact PCI or phone at 503-725-9096.
State DR Programs Battle for Funding
State
dispute resolution programs have not escaped the effects of the budget
crisis. Directors of some of the leading public policy programs report
that financial woes are prompting reductions in personnel and programs.
Still, despite the cutbacks and constant budget battles, some programs
are finding creative ways to survive.
Florida Conflict Resolution Consortium (FCRC), based at Florida State University in Tallahassee, with regional offices in Orlando at the University of Central Florida and Boca Raton at the Florida Atlantic University, provides dispute resolution education, training and research activities. FCRC has been notified by the new FSU President that they will no longer receive state funding and should develop a "bridge plan" to become self sustaining. FCRC will continue operating from its FSU base in the coming year while exploring other organizational options.
Massachusetts Office of Dispute Resolution (MODR), formed in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, serves primarily state and local government. MODR has recently undergone severe financial cutbacks. Present appropriation is down to $98,789 from $457,850 in FY02, and the office has gone from a staff of 12 to 3. MODR is working with Governor Romney's legal counsel to build support within the current administration for its programs.
Minnesota Office of Dispute Resolution, formed in the Office of Planning, and later moved to the Bureau of Mediation Services (created to administer the labor-management act), was abolished this year as part of budget cutbacks.
Montana Consensus Council, formed in Governor Racicot's office by Executive Order, got statutory authorization this year from the legislature, but no money, and is now located in the Department of Administrative Services.
Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution, though eliminated in the Governor's budget, survived in the legislature. General revenue funding for fiscal year 2004 is $500,000. Separate funding for school conflict management, which had been included in the Department of Education's budget, was eliminated.
Oregon Commission on Dispute Resolution was eliminated from the Governor's budget. Discussions are still underway as to whether and how to continue the community and public policy dispute resolution programs. As of mid-August, the Oregon legislature has not passed a state budget, so the final outcome yet to be determined.
In a more hopeful side to the State DR budget story, several states are finding creative ways to continue operations.
California Center for Collaborative Policy, formed as a partnership between California State University, Sacramento, and McGeorge School of Law, operates primarily from fee-for-service and some grant monies. The Center may be the exception to what has happened in other states. Because it does not rely on general funds, it is cutting back some, but continues to thrive.
Hawaii State Judiciary's Center for ADR, formed in 1985 by the Chief Justice, continues to thrive because of a supportive Chief Justice. The Center helps design programs for state and county government, mediates and facilitates disputes that affect public policy, provides training and education, and oversees the Judiciary's contract with the community mediation centers.
Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO), under the leadership of Maryland's Chief Judge, and with guidance from a diverse, high-level Board, serves as an ADR resource for the state. It supports and promotes appropriate use of ADR in courts, communities, schools, state and local government agencies, criminal and juvenile justice programs and businesses. In recent years, the Judiciary has taken an active role in statewide cost containment efforts, returning money to the General Fund to help offset projected budget shortfalls. Although these reductions have had significant effects on MACRO's operations, with the Judiciary's strong support, it is well funded for the new fiscal year.
Texas Center for Public Dispute Resolution at the University of Texas Law School serves as a state resource center, providing research, training and service to state and local government. The Center was also threatened with budget cutbacks, but managed to remain in the UT budget and will continue to receive an appropriation, albeit decreased by 12.5 percent.
Practical Guide to Consensus
PCI's Practical
Guide to Consensus, a 75-page step-by-step handbook that covers
the stages of sponsoring, organizing, and participating in a public
policy consensus process, is now available on the PCI / NPCC website.
Designed primarily for government agencies or departments, the guide
also is useful for any other sponsor of—or participant in—a
consensus building process. The Practical Guide was developed
and co-authored by Chris Carlson, Executive Director of PCI and a leading
authority on consensus building in the public sector, and by Jim Arthur,
a long-time facilitator and consultant in the use of dispute resolution
to address policy conflicts.
A comprehensive Trainer's Manual titled Getting the Most out of Consensus Processes: a Workshop for Public Officials, is also available. The Trainer's Manual serves as a useful companion to the Practical Guide.
(Read reviews of the Practical Guide to Consensus, or order it now.)
State Programs To Meet in Orlando
PCI's annual State Dispute Resolution Programs meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 15 in Orlando, FL. The meeting will be held one day prior to the start of regular sessions at the Association for Conflict Resolution conference. Both the PCI and ACR meetings will be at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort. PCI's meeting will begin in the morning with a plenary session that allows for information sharing and problem solving among attendees. Concurrent sessions are scheduled for the afternoon. One of the afternoon tracks will be a series of sessions for court programs, co-sponsored by the ACR Court Section. A registration form is available on the PCI website, and also will be mailed to state DR programs.
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