The Montana Consensus Council
Our Approach
The Montana Consensus Council operates on the assumption that there is no single model or approach to public participation, collaborative problem solving, or dispute resolution. Each natural resource or public policy situation is somewhat unique, and therefore the process for engaging citizens and officials to build agreements and resolve disputes should be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the people involved in a particular situation.
The Council:
- Provides workplace mediation and conflict resolution;
- Provides information and advice to citizens and officials on different approaches to public participation, collaborative problem solving, and public dispute resolution;
- Assesses specific situations to identify the most compelling issues, key stakeholders, and alternative ways to engage citizens and officials.
- Designs the most appropriate public process to foster communication, understanding, and agreement among the stakeholders;
- Facilitates and mediate such processes, as appropriate;
- Evaluates the effectiveness of alternative processes to identify best practices;
- Designs systems to cut the costs of recurring disputes;
- Offers presentations, workshops, and courses to improve people's ability to engage effectively in collaborative problem solving processes;
- Produces practical guides, handbooks, and other publications to raise awareness and understanding of the role of collaborative problem solving and consensus building in public decision making and natural resource policy; and
- Gathers, analyzes, and transfers information and knowledge to citizens and officials throughout the American West.
Our approach to public dialogue and public dispute resolution can be viewed as a four stage process (see document, below).
Phases of Public Dialogue (pdf)