Understanding and assessing
conflict
1.
Understands
that conflict includes attitudes and behaviors as well as the
contradictions among stakeholders’ goals.
2.
Moves
beyond the concepts of conflict resolution toward conflict
transformation
that encourages long term changes in attitude.
3.
Uses
conflict assessments
to design and prepare for interventions.
4.
Moves
beyond symptoms and triggering events, and inquires into the root causes
of conflict.
5.
Sees
conflict from a dynamic rather than static view, considering the various
stages of conflict and likely future scenarios.
6.
Seeks new
information, and adapts her/his thinking to new data and new
understandings.
7.
Knows
that working with conflict will raise very personal issues,
and that one’s own feelings and attitudes about conflict are always
nearby.
Approach
to actors and conflict
8.
Moves to
assess conflict and take early action rather than letting conflict
unnecessarily escalate.
9.
Understands
that, although dealing with individual people, conflicting parties often
connect to, and are part of, institutions and systems that directly
affect or even drive the conflict.
10.
In two
party conflict, accepts that “three treaties” (one across the table
and one on each side of the table) are often needed – therefore
working for all three treaties.
11.
Understands
and applies interest based bargaining principles.
Process
design
12.
Helps
parties and clients co-design conflict processes that support all
elements of competence listed here.
13.
Develops
protocols and guidelines to make the process effective and safe for
participation.
14.
Encourages
all parties to exchange the data needed for decision making.
15.
Helps
structure meetings and working agenda to work toward agreed upon goals.
16.
Finds and
involves expert assistance as needed.
17.
Encourages
processes that reduce the likelihood or intensity of future unproductive
conflict.
Communication
in conflict
18.
Works to
improve communications both across the table and internally within
parties, discouraging unproductive behaviors.
19.
Encourages
direct dialogue that permits each party to understand the other.
20.
Opens
dialogue to ensure that all necessary points of view are heard.
Decision
making, summarizing and implementing
21.
Recognizes
the varying role of law in conflict resolution (i.e., sometimes law
plays a dominant role and other times a reduced role).
22.
Understands
and discourages decision making errors.
23.
Prefers
and seeks durable outcomes and resolutions over “quick fixes.”
24.
To the
extent possible, works toward written summaries or draft agreements that
build upon tentative agreements rather than re-open issues that have
been previously resolved.
25.
Understands
how to remain engaged to facilitate the implementation of any agreements
reached.
