Services

Collaborative Problem Solving Services

Public issues continue to become more complex and contentious.  Fortunately collaborative approaches have a proven track record of producing effective and efficient solutions to these challenges.  OCDR helps you find solutions through a process that includes:

• Preliminary Consultation to explore the issue under dispute and how OCDR can help. OCDR offers preliminary consultation at no charge. Contact us at 651-539-1404 or katie.pratt@state.mn.us to speak with an experienced staff person. OCDR staff will explore the nature of the conflict, the potential for a collaborative approach and how OCDR services fit with those needs. Learn more about how to get started with OCDR by viewing our project criteria.
  
  
• Issue assessment and process design to evaluate the opportunities for collaborative solutions and design a process which is most likely to result in solutions that all stakeholders can support. Issue assessment by a neutral third party like OCDR is an important first step in finding constructive approaches to resolving public conflicts. During the assessment, a facilitator talks with parties who may be impacted by the issue under dispute; assesses the causes of the conflict, the underlying issues and the parties' interests; and offers recommendations about the feasibility of using a consensus-building process to resolve the dispute. Conflict assessments vary in complexity and may result in a written report or oral recommendations.
  
  Structuring a complex, multi-party collaborative process takes thoughtful, informed design. After an issue assessment, OCDR helps design an effective process for engaging relevant parties in the process, providing needed technical information, fostering constructive dialogue, tracking group progress and decisions, and crafting agreements that are durable, implementable and reflective of diverse interests. The process design takes into account time, budget, and project staffing constraints when determining project feasibility and best approaches.
  
  
• Preparation of participants to give participants the skills and knowledge they need to engage effectively. During the assessment and design phase, the facilitator determines what type of preparation would enable participants to make the most of the process. Preparation can include training in communication and conflict resolution skills, establishing an operating agreement, trust building activities, developing a shared information base, and more.
  
  
• Consensus building to ensure open discussion, consideration of all viewpoints, and the development of integrative solutions. Consensus building describes a range of collaborative decision-making processes in which a facilitator helps people with diverse interests work together to agree on solutions all members of the group can support. Consensus building processes typically encourage dialogue, clarify areas of agreement and disagreement, improve information used in the process, and resolve controversial issues using structured, face-to-face interaction among stakeholders. The goal of consensus building is to gain early participation from affected interests with differing viewpoints, produce sound policies with a wide range of support, and reduce the likelihood of subsequent disagreements or legal challenges.
  
  
• Implementation to help ensure that consensus solutions are implemented. OCDR works with stakeholders to ensure that consensus solutions are implemented by:
  • Including entities responsible for implementation of the consensus solutions in the collaborative problem solving process. These individuals may be city council members, state  agency commissioner, legislators or others.
  • Building stakeholders capacity for implementation by increasing trust and improving communication. 
  • Ensuring that stakeholders define responsibilities and timelines in their agreements.
  • Assisting stakeholders in developing a system for monitoring implementation.

Collaborative Problem Solving Process Visual Overview (PDF)

Civic Engagement - To design events and activities that are meaningful for participants and meets the goals of policy makers.

Whether to gather input on a proposed policy or regulation, bring multiple perspectives together to bear on a challenging issue, assist decision makers in making a difficult decision, build community capacity, or just to better identify the public’s values and idea, OCDR can help state and local government with civic engagement. Our services include design of meaningful engagement events and activities, assistance in working with divided groups, meeting facilitation, training, self-assessment and development of next steps, and more. 

OCDR has provided:

• Design and facilitation services for a stakeholder engagement process to inform the Minnesota Department of Education’s Every Student Succeeds Act state plan 
• Training for table facilitators to gather feedback on how to improve water quality from participants at the 2016 Governor's Water Summit about how to improve water quality in Minnesota
• Design and facilitation services to the Minnesota State Capitol Preservation Commission Art Subcommittee for a community engagement process to gather feedback on changes needed to art displayed in the Capitol and priorities for new art. The subcommittee held meetings across the state and issued a survey.

Consultation and Capacity Building - To assist government entities in identifying steps for addressing contentious issues.

OCDR assists state and local government staff and officials who are grappling with contentious issues. OCDR can serve as a partner in thinking through how to handle difficult issues as well as providing coaching, process options, and other forms of consultation. Additionally, OCDR works with state and local government to enhance collaborative and alternative dispute resolution systems and programs. Consultation services for existing programs include best practices, networking, expansion plans, and coaching.

Human Centered Leadership

Human Centered Leadership is a mindset that is complementary to other leadership models you may be familiar with.  It is a lens to layer on to your existing knowledge and tools.

Human Centered Leadership provides you with:  

• Knowledge for understanding behavioral science 
• Practical Tools to use a human centered mindset in decision making and problem solving  
• Human-Centered Leadership Mindsets to ensure that you apply these insights and tools effectively  
• A Community of Practice that supports continued development of a human centered mindset in state service 

Facilitation - Of task forces and other public activities to ensure that task forces efficiently develop high quality solutions that are supported by all stakeholders.

OCDR specializes in the facilitation of task forces (committees, sub-committees, etc.) where the topic is especially contentious or the group is particularly divided.   Whether at the state or local level, OCDR facilitators help make task forces more effective and efficient.  OCDR facilitators make task forces more effective by ensuring that all points of view are heard and understood and by assisting participants in developing creative ways to integrate those points of view in to a solution that address the concerns of all participants.  OCDR facilitators make task forces more efficient by creating agendas, keeping the group on task, coordinating between-meeting work, and ensuring that the solutions are ones that all participants support.  Examples of task forces that OCDR has facilitated include The Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health and the Minnesota State Capitol Preservation Commission Art Subcommittee.

Conflict Resolution System Design

OCDR specializes in the facilitation of task forces (committees, sub-committees, etc.) where the topic is especially contentious or the group is particularly divided.   

Whether at the state or local level, OCDR facilitators help make task forces more effective and efficient.  OCDR facilitators make task forces more effective by ensuring that all points of view are heard and understood and by assisting participants in developing creative ways to integrate those points of view in to a solution that address the concerns of all participants. 

 OCDR facilitators make task forces more efficient by creating agendas, keeping the group on task, coordinating between-meeting work, and ensuring that the solutions are ones that all participants support.  Examples of task forces that OCDR has facilitated include The Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health and the Minnesota State Capitol Preservation Commission Art Subcommittee.

Referral Services - To find the mediator, arbitrator, or other dispute resolution professional you need.

If you are looking for arbitration, types of mediation that OCDR does not provide, meeting facilitation or other services that the OCDR does not handle directly, we will connect you to appropriate resources.