Academic Writing - Mediation And Consultation

In the Academic Writing about Trust Walk here we will be discussing about conflict resolution

Role of Mediation, consultation and facilitation throughout conflict resolution

Conflict resolution is a range of processes aimed at alleviating or eliminating sources of conflict. The term "conflict resolution" is sometimes used interchangeably with the term dispute resolution or alternative dispute resolution. Processes of conflict resolution generally include negotiation, mediation and diplomacy. The processes of arbitration, litigation, and formal complaint processes such as ombudsman processes, are usually described with the term dispute resolution, although some refer to them as "conflict resolution." Processes of mediation and arbitration are often referred to as alternative dispute resolution.

Mediation, a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) or "appropriate dispute resolution", aims to assist two (or more) disputants in reaching an agreement. The parties themselves determine the conditions of any settlements reached— rather than accepting something imposed by a third party. The disputes may involve (as parties) states, organizations, communities, individuals or other representatives with a vested interest in the outcome.

Mediators use appropriate techniques and/or skills to open and/or improve dialogue between disputants, aiming to help the parties reach an agreement (with concrete effects) on the disputed matter. Normally, all parties must view the mediator as impartial.

Disputants may use mediation in a variety of disputes, such as commercial, legal, diplomatic, workplace, community and family matters.

A third-party representative may contract and mediate between (say) unions and corporations. When a workers’ union goes on strike, a dispute takes place, and the corporation hires a third party to intervene in attempt to settle a contract or agreement between the union and the corporation.

Mediation is a very usual tool, adaptable to anticipate problems, grievances and difficulties between parties before the conflict may arise. This has potential applications in large and private sector organizations, particularly where they are subject to excessive change, competition and economic pressure. A key way mediation is used to prevent these conflicts is complaint handling and management. This is a conflict prevention mechanism designed to handle a complaint effectively at first contact and to minimize the possibility of it developing into a dispute. According to Charlton a person who undertakes this role is commonly known as a “dispute preventer”.

Consultation- Consultation refers to providing guidelines and finding out ways to solve a particular discrepancy. Consultation is a regulatory process by which the public's input on matters affecting them is sought. Its main goals are in improving the efficiency, transparency[1] and public involvement in large-scale projects or laws and policies.

Facilitation- Facilitation refers to the process of designing and running a successful meeting.

Facilitation concerns itself with all the tasks needed to run a productive and impartial meeting. Facilitation serves the needs of any group who are meeting with a common purpose, whether it be making a decision, solving a problem, or simply exchanging ideas and information. It does not lead the group, nor does it try to distract or to entertain.

The roles of facilitator are as follows-

1 - monitors the agenda

2 - keep time

3 - manage the group process

4 - encourage participation from all attendees

5 - help participants understand different points of view

6 - foster solutions that incorporate diverse points of view

7 - manage participant behavior

8 - create a safe environment

9 - teach new thinking skills and facilitating structured thinking activities

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