UNCG Directory

Our primary mission is to assist Arkansas leaders, citizens, and organizations in developing inclusive discourse and effective collaborations on public issues. We work primarily with state and local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, stakeholder groups, neighborhood and community-based organizations, and other public-serving organizations to develop consensus-based solutions to complex and sensitive public problems. In addition, we serve the people of Arkansas directly through participation in public forums on public policy issues and through applied research aimed at building stronger and more cohesive neighborhoods and communities.

The Center promotes and supports the appropriate use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) by Texas governmental and public interest entities. We provide education, skill-building trainings, mediation and facilitation services to foster collaboration and problem-solving with state, regional, and local entities, as well as The University of Texas community and the public. 

The Collaborative Governance Program at the University of Arizona's School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) is designed to meet the growing need of government, non-profit and corporate managers to find ways to work together across institutional, geographic, economic and social boundaries in many different policy domains, such as natural resource management, public health, urban planning and economic development, energy and public utilities. The program builds on the experience and expertise of highly qualified instructors, practitioners and researchers working across the following program areas: Teaching and Training; Projects and Service; Research; and Civil Discourse.  SGPP also houses the National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD), a national initiative to build civility and respectful deliberation among members of congress, within state legislatures, and  the media.

The Conflict Resolution Institute (CRI) at the University of Denver bridges nine academic units and five professional schools to create truly multidisciplinary offerings in the theory, research, and practice of conflict resolution. The Academic Program offers an M.A. degree, while the Center for Conflict Engagement coordinates conferences, visiting scholars, joint projects, and community partnerships. CRI focuses on reflective practice, conflict analysis and assessment, conflict resolution capacity building, and restoring the community fabric in ongoing intractable conflict and post-conflict settings

Since its founding in 2005, the Davenport Institute has worked to engage the citizens of this state in the policy decisions that affect our everyday lives. It is our firm belief that, in today's world of easy access to information, and easy connectivity to others, California's municipal and education leaders are seeking ways to involve the residents of their communities in the important issues they confront. Done legitimately, this new kind of leadership produces better, more creative policy solutions and better, more engaged citizens committed to the hard work of self-governance.

The Stegner Center’s Environmental Dispute Resolution Program (EDRP) — established in 2012 — promotes collaboration, mediation, and other dispute resolution processes as a means to address contemporary environmental conflicts. Focusing initially on environmental and natural resource conflicts in Utah, EDRP is building capacity for expanded and improved collaboration and mediation, while also documenting and shedding new light on the extensive collaboration efforts already occurring in Utah and the Mountain West. The new program’s approach redefines the meaning of “ADR”. Though usually thought of as an alternative to litigation, EDRP uses the term “ADR” to mean Additional Dialogue Required – using mediation and other collaborative processes to create an opportunity for dialogue and mutual understanding in environmental and natural resource conflicts. This approach builds long-term relationships and produces enduring on-the-ground results. 

The FCRC Consensus Center serves as an independent public resource facilitating consensus solutions and supporting collaborative action.In implementing this mission, the FCRC Consensus Center, in partnership with other organizations and professionals, assists public and private interests in designing and securing appropriate collaboration and consensus building services for public issues and challenges throughout Florida and beyond. The Center provides technical assistance through consultation and professional training and education services to a wide range of leaders, managers and professionals.

I work as professor of environmental governance with a focus on conflicts and conflict resolution at the University of Eastern Finland, Dept. of Historical and Geographical studies. I also work as co-director of the UEF Master's degree program of Environmental Policy and Law. My university work revolves around issues of environmental and natural resources conflicts mostly in the Finnish and European context - with a more recent focus on mediation and collaborative approaches (See: ongoing project: www.collaboration.fi). My interests include local and planning conflicts, natural resources (water, minerals, energy), social acceptance issues and conservation-related conflicts and collaboration. In addition to my university role, I also work as a practitioner in Finland, through Akordi, the first consultancy in Finland to specialize in environmental conflict resolution, which I co-founded in 2013. Through this role, I am also a member of the Consensus Building Institute Global network (see: https://www.cbi.org/who-we-are/?tab=global-network)

The Intersector Initiative, a project of the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, aims to improve the practice of cross-sector collaboration in the United States and beyond by producing resources that address important public policy, governance, and management issues that arise when sectors work together. The Initiative conducts and highlights research on key topics related to cross-sector collaboration across issue areas, touching on a broad array of collaborative approaches. We aim to promote a greater awareness and understanding of cross-sector collaboration by supporting practitioners involved in this work, researchers focused on this topic, and educators working with the next generation of cross-sector actors, ultimately producing more effective public problem solving through more effective and collaborative governance. 

The Institute for Engagement & Negotiation (IEN) is a recognized leader in fostering collaborative change across a broad range of environmental, social and economic issues. Founded in 1980, IEN is a public service organization of the University of Virginia, at the School of Architecture, with a team of facilitators and mediators that assists organizations, agencies, industry, and communities in making bold, sustainable decisions. Our work spans four areas: sustainable environment; resilient communities; health, food and social equity; and building capacity through training and leadership. Formerly the Institute for Environmental Negotiation, IEN's new name reflects how its work has expanded far beyond “environmental” negotiation to these four broad areas of community issues, including bringing social equity to the table in all of these arenas.

The University of Idaho’s James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research was launched in 2007, and has become Idaho's most trusted and preeminent public policy research entity. A champion for state water rights and a nationally recognized leader in energy and natural resource policy, Senator McClure earned the respect of his colleagues for his thoughtful pursuit and promotion of bipartisan collaboration leading to enactment and execution of sound public policy. The McClure Center’s collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to addressing society’s complex challenges sustains Senator McClure’s remarkable legacy.

MOPC builds capacity for conflict resolution, collaboration and consensus-building within public entities and across sectors state-wide and serves as a neutral forum and state-level resource in these fields. MOPC works with government agencies, courts, businesses, nonprofits, and citizen groups to address complex issues related to economic development, environmental resource management, land use, agriculture, transportation, housing, health care, and other important community objectives. MOPC's work results in cost savings for the state and its citizens through reduced litigation and settlement expenses and enhanced capacity for effective problem-solving and civic engagement on major public initiatives in the commonwealth.

The Natural Resources Leadership Institute is an instructional and community service program of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service at NC State University.  The goal of the Natural Resources Leadership Institute is to improve management and policy decisions affecting North Carolina's communities and natural resources.  The Institute’s Leadership Development Program brings together people from government agencies, private industry, community and environmental organizations, and educational institutions in an atmosphere conducive to exploration and learning. Our ultimate goal is to foster the development of mutually satisfactory environmental policies. The curriculum, which focuses on leadership, conflict resolution, and collaborative problem solving, consists of six workshops, two review sessions, and a practicum that involves the participant in collaborative solutions to natural resource issues with others who have a stake in the outcome. Graduates of the program are better decision-makers in working with other stakeholders and who can fashion more workable solutions toward North Carolina’s natural resource problems.The program on Environmental Decision-Making convenes representatives of business, public interest groups, and government to jointly explore public policy issues, management priorities, future visions, and regulatory matters. The Institute supports these processes by designing and facilitating collaborative decision-making processes. We also provide Specialized Training Courses around leadership development, environmental conflict resolution, negotiation, facilitation, public involvement, participatory decision making, and similar topics for government agencies, boards and commissions, nonprofit organizations, facilitators and mediators, firms, and interested citizens. 

Creighton's Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (NCR) Program teaches individuals how to engage conflict and resolve disputes effectively, efficiently, and humanely. The mission is consistent with the Jesuit Catholic tradition of social justice, responsible leadership, and professional distinction. To advance its goals, NCR assists organizations with the design of conflict management systems, offers professional development programs, workshops, custom designed trainings, graduate certification programs, and provides an interdisciplinary program leading to a master’s degree in negotiation and conflict resolution (offered both, in a campus-based and a online modality – with two intensive campus visits).

The O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs is a nationally ranked academic institution located on the campus of Indiana University and home to a Masters of Public Affairs program that is ranked number one in the nation.  The O'Neill School works to build a better world by helping people solve complex problems at the crossroads of policy, management, and science. We promote sound decisions, well-managed organizations, just and healthy societies, and a sustainable environment through education, scholarship, and civic engagement. We give our students the knowledge and skills to have a significant impact in diverse settings around the globe. The O'Neill School's commitment is shaped by these shared and guiding beliefs:

• All people deserve to live in thriving and sustainable communities.
• Strong, healthy communities depend on well-educated, innovative and ethical leaders, and informed and engaged citizens.
• Creative, current, and rigorous research informs sound decision-making.
• Leaders need both relevant information and the skills necessary to interpret and use information and data effectively.
• Successful leaders must be able to bridge public, private, and nonprofit sector boundaries.
• Conversation and collaboration among individuals with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and skills leads to more vibrant ideas and solutions.

Provides neutral conflict resolution service to state and federal agencies, the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon Courts, tribal governments, local governments and a variety of stakeholders involved in issues related to development and application of public policies in Oregon. The Program incorporates components of the former Oregon Public Policy Dispute Resolution Program of the Oregon Dispute Resolution Commission, which were transferred to the Hatfield School by the 2003 Legislature.

Oregon Solutions is a program at Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government that integrates and leverages public, private, and civic resources for community-based projects. Oregon Solutions provides a structure and process for collaboration, showing that public solutions are best achieved when government, the business sector, and civic organizations work together. Oregon Solutions engages diverse project teams to leverage resources in sustainable community projects.

The National Policy Consensus Center (NPCC) and NPCC’s Oregon’s Kitchen Table are housed within the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University. Oregon’s Kitchen Table is the creation of the Hatfield School in partnership with a group of non-partisan, non-profit community organizations and highly-regarded leaders representing diverse community perspectives dedicated to helping Oregonians have a voice. This group founded Oregon’s Kitchen Table in order to create permanent civic infrastructure through which Oregonians can provide real-time feedback, opinions, and ideas to decision-makers. Oregon’s Kitchen Table staff work closely with local, regional and state community leaders to create in-depth online consultations and in-person deliberations that reflect the tough trade-offs and challenges decision makers confront in governing. The public – currently, there are more than 16,000 Oregonians signed up for Oregon’s Kitchen Table – then provides leaders with high-quality feedback on those issues. Oregon’s Kitchen Table has been used at the state, local and regional levels to gather feedback from a wide variety of Oregonians on a range of topic, including housing, future visioning, budgeting priorities, and educational equity.

The Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University is a multi-faceted, interdisciplinary research center that advances both theory and practice in the fields of conflict and collaboration. Founded by Dr. Louis Kriesberg in 1986 with Hewlett Foundation funding, PARCC was initially known for its breakthrough work in conflict transformation, intractable conflicts, and identity conflicts in the international arena. With the addition of participating scholars, its areas of interest have grown to include environmental conflicts, advocacy and activism, and, most recently, collaborative governance. PARCC’s commitment to practice can be seen in its Summer Institute, which has trained individuals in the skills of conflict resolution and collaboration for over 25 years, a graduate-level Certificate in Conflict Resolution, a Conflict Management Practice Group, and policy-relevant publications. PARCC faculty members serve as consultants for training, community development, negotiation, evaluation, and the design and study of peace-building projects. E-PARCC, an innovative education project, is a web-based collection of cases, simulations, and syllabi for the teaching of collaborative governance. All materials, authored by top scholars, are available in multiple languages for all to use.

The UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government offers assistance to elected and appointed officials in resolving public disputes. The School can help evaluate different options for addressing a public issue, including task forces, public meetings, mediation, facilitation and other techniques to assist parties in productively resolving their disputes. Individual concerns about situations of mistrust, high emotions, and how to negotiate/problem-solve more effectively can be addressed through telephone consultation. The School can provide mediation and facilitation of public disputes to a limited extent. We can help identify services from local mediation centers, councils of government and other impartial providers. The School offers short courses on managing conflict collaboratively, and facilitative leadership. We work with NC government agencies to provide or broker training in negotiation, mediation, and stakeholder consensus-building techniques focused on inter-governmental or community issues. The Guidebook to Public Dispute Resolution in North Carolina, identifies the benefits and limitations of using mediators in public disputes, includes case summaries of NC public disputes, guidelines for selecting an impartial third party, and a directory of potential public dispute mediators and facilitators. There is an online index to examples of facilitation and mediation in North Carolina and across the United States.

The Ruckelshaus Institute, a division of the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming, advances the understanding and resolution of complex environmental and natural resources challenges and supports stakeholder-driven solutions to environmental challenges by conducting and communicating relevant research and promoting collaborative decision making. The Ruckelshaus Institute's collaborative solutions program supports natural resource stakeholders, policy makers, and managers in making decisions about the future. We achieve this by: combining scientific information, human values and decision support; Developing effective, lasting solutions to environmental problems; using the Ruckelshaus Institute's cadre of experts who convene stakeholders and representatives from private business and industry, public interest groups, landowners and government; and exploring policy alternatives, management priorities and future visions. The Collaboration Program in Natural Resources provides professional training for a cohort of mid- and upper-level natural resource decision makers and engaged citizens. In six rigorous sessions, participants will gain skills and knowledge to apply collaborative processes to complex environment and natural resource challenges to build lasting, supported solutions. 

As a joint effort of Washington State University and the University of Washington, the Center’s mission is to act as a neutral resource for collaborative problem solving in the region. The Center provides expertise that improves the availability and quality of voluntary collaborative approaches to policy development and multi-party dispute resolution. Center services include conflict assessment and neutral forums; capacity building activities such as training and systems design; and research that frames issues and advances the effectiveness of collaborative processes.