PCI Hosts Panel on University-based
Consensus Building Programs
Tom Taylor, Associate Director of the Florida Conflict Resolution Consortium (FCRC) – one of the longest standing university-based state dispute resolution programs – discussed the Consortium’s 15 years of consultation and service in conducting assessments, building consensus and resolving disputes for state and local government leaders and agencies.
The Consortium has offices at both the University of Central Florida’s Institute of Government and at Florida State University.
FCRC helps design efforts for intergovernmental collaboration, community and public problem solving, and land-use and environmental dispute resolution. It serves as a broker connecting stakeholders with dispute resolution professionals. Thousands of leaders, agency staff, representatives of advocacy and interest groups, and citizens, have been trained by FCRC in appropriate uses of collaborative dispute resolution techniques.
John Stephens, Coordinator for the Public Dispute Resolution Program at the University of North Carolina’s School of Government explained how the program’s Institute of Government works with local governments throughout the state to help them manage difficult public policy disputes, and to provide design and facilitation for strategic planning.
The UNC Institute of Government is one of the largest university-based local government training, consulting, and research organization in the United States, sponsoring hundreds of classes, seminars, schools, and specialized conferences for more than 14,000 public officials each year.
Roby Robertson (Director) and Ruth Craw (Research Associate) at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock Institute of Government described the program’s consensus-building work during the past several years around a number of controversial public issues – including disputes over water supplies. For the past year, the Institute has been planning a new center that is scheduled to open later this year.
In May, PCI / NPCC will publish a comprehensive report of these and other university-based service and research programs focused on collaborative governance approaches for public leaders.