NCJ Number
109483
Date Published
1987
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This document describes the public policy program at the National Institute for Dispute Resolution (NIDR).
Abstract
The goal of the public policy program at the NIDR is to help build the institutions, infrastructure, and methodologies for settling large-scale conflicts involving the public interest. A central part of this program is testing and supporting development of statewide offices of mediation as institutions within the government that promote mediation in public policy disputes. In the lead article, an overview of the uses and development of statewide offices is provided. Interviews were conducted with the directors of offices in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Jersey. Also, the director of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at Rutgers University and the program officer at the Kettering Foundation were interviewed. Four case studies report how statewide offices have contributed to the resolution of such major disputes as herbicide spraying, emergency medical services, public housing, and water resources. Excerpts from a new handbook for governors on dispute resolution are included. Relevant publications, newsletters, journals, and articles are listed.