Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution

The Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution (OCDR) designs and facilitates collaborative processes to help government and stakeholders improve relationships, build trust, and develop wise and durable solutions to seemingly intractable issues.

Our three major service areas include:

1. Public policy dispute resolution – OCDR helps government and citizens find better ways to work together on important public issues. Using assessment, process design, and facilitation, we help our clients achieve effective and efficient results on difficult and seemingly intractable cases. OCDR also offers group and meeting facilitation for public policy workgroups and task forces, and provides technical assistance and coaching on an as-needed basis. More on our approach, which we call Collaborative Problem-Solving, can be found here.
   
   
2. Training and capacity building – OCDR provides standard and customized trainings on conflict management, public engagement, bridging divides, and other topics. Recent clients include the MN Department of Transportation, Minnesota Management and Budget, and the Minnesota School Board Association. OCDR also provides tools and information on these topics.
   
   
3. Community mediation support – OCDR administers a biennial grant program to nonprofit community dispute resolution centers that provide free and low-cost mediation and other dispute resolution services in their communities. See OCDR’s link here for more information or find links to specific community mediation centers here.