Introduction to Managing Environmental Disputes

101: Introduction to Managing Environmental Conflict

Why take this training?

Managing Environmental Conflict requires a broad range of skills and abilities including: analyzing the situation to determine the most productive approach; project implementation and management, communicating effectively to build and maintain working relationships; and finding workable solutions by analyzing problems from an "interest-based" perspective to satisfy the diverse interests of all parties.

This highly participatory and interactive course will help develop awareness of the many facets of conflict management, focusing on assessing and organizing, the steps in implementing environmental conflict resolution and collaborative planning processes, central concepts of interest-based problem-solving, basic communications survival skills, and resources available. This training exposes those new to Environment Conflict Resolution to the broad range of concepts and skills that one must have to effectively manage environmental conflicts.

What will you learn?

This introductory workshop will help participants:

Develop an awareness of the field and practice of Environmental Conflict Resolution
Know how to systematically analyze a situation and identify an appropriate conflict resolution process
Learn effective conflict management concepts, particularly the central principles of interest-based bargaining
Develop basic communication skills that help foster long term relationships and help to better manage, negotiate, and resolve conflict

Pre-requisites

none

Pre-Course Assignment

none

Speaker and Presenter Information

Joan Calcagno joined the Institute's staff in September 1999 as the manager of the Roster of ECR Practitioners, which included assisting people seeking to engage a neutral dispute resolution professional by providing referrals and advice regarding the process of selecting an appropriate neutral. She also participated as part of the Native Dispute Resolution Network team. Currently, Joan�s ECR project development and management work focuses on collaborative problem-solving and dispute resolution processes involving transportation planning and project development, as well as transportation agency/tribal consultation issues and agreements. Projects span specific conflict resolution cases, inter-agency and multi-stakeholder workshops, and collaboration skill-building. Joan provides mediation and facilitation services as needed on a variety of projects. Joan is part of the Institute�s training team and is the lead trainer for Introduction to Managing ECR and co-leads other Institute trainings. Before joining the U.S. Institute's staff, Joan was a professional mediator and trainer. She served on the board of directors of the Arizona Dispute Resolution Association, chaired its membership committee, and served on the credentialing committee. She was also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in mediation and public policy conflict resolution at the University of Arizona and its law school, Settlement Judge Pro Tem, arbitrator, and administrative law judge and co-hosted a local call-in radio program "What's Your Problem?: Creative Conflict Resolution." She practiced law for eleven years before beginning her mediation/ADR career. Joan has a broad range of other work and life experience, including retail business and community organizing as a VISTA volunteer.

Expected Number of Attendees

Relevant Government Agencies

Air Force, Army, Navy & Marine Corps, DOD & Military, Dept of Agriculture, Dept of Commerce, Dept of Energy, Dept of Homeland Security, Dept of Housing & Urban Development, Dept of the Interior, Dept of Transportation, Dept of Veterans Affairs, EPA, State Government, County Government, City Government, Municipal Government, FEMA, Coast Guard, Environmental, Natural Resources, Leadership, ECR