Resolutions
Resolution on The Use of Consensus Building in Policy Making
CSG Midwest - The Council of State Governments 53rd Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana
August 2-5, 1998
WHEREAS, the role of states within the American federal system has grown increasingly important in recent years; and
WHEREAS, the issues and challenges confronting state leaders today are more complex and often more divisive than ever before; and
WHEREAS, to be effective in addressing the wide array of issues they face, state leaders need to employ a variety of strategies and problem solving tools; and
WHEREAS, the process of consensus building represents an important alternative approach to dealing with complex issues, particularly those involving multiple stakeholders and competing interests; and
WHEREAS, consensus building embodies a set of concepts and processes, including collaborative problem solving, mediation and facilitation, that can be used by states to craft better policies and better tools for implementing them; and
WHEREAS, many states that have used consensus building processes as policy-making tools have been successful in addressing such difficult issues as environmental protection, the regulation of nursing homes, affordable housing, HIV prevention and more; and
WHEREAS, a growing number of states have already established consensus programs and dispute resolution offices to assist state leaders in applying the concept of consensus building to the development and implementation of public policy; and
WHEREAS, state leaders would be well served by further efforts to promote consensus building as a tool to be used in addressing complex issues and developing effective public policy; and
WHEREAS, states would also benefit from the greater use of consensus building processes in the development of regional and national solutions to multistate problems; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Midwestern Legislative Conference recognizes the importance of consensus building as an efficient approach to policy development and an effective means to be used by state leaders in addressing issues that lend themselves to resolution through techniques such as collaborative problem solving, mediation and facilitation; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Midwestern Legislative Conference encourages the development by individual states of consensus building programs and resources to be used by state leaders as appropriate in fostering consensus solutions to complex policy issues; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Midwestern Legislative Conference supports the efforts of the Policy Consensus Initiative and other proponents of conflict resolution tools to encourage the appropriate use of consensus building techniques by state leaders; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Midwestern Legislative Conference encourages the states and the federal government to make greater use of consensus-building processes in developing regional and national solutions to multistate policy issues as appropriate; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Midwestern Legislative Conference will transmit this resolution to appropriate state and federal officials and other interested parties.