Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
In addition, given water's physical and economic characteristics, decisions
about water allocation have the potential to generate conflict. Conflict can
involve private individuals, farm businesses, water companies, municipalities,
industry sectors and can be between provinces, institutions within the same
government, and nations with cross-boundary watercourses. So not only are
facilitation skills necessary, but capacity in consensus building and conflict
resolution is a practical asset.
While water legislation may or may not include provisions for settling
disputes (e.g. by agreement or tribunal adjudication), better training and
skills in this area can contribute to reduction in serious conflict. Basic under-
standing of consensus building and conflict resolution should include the
following:
O
Establishing ground rules to build relationships - A premise of consensus-
building is to negotiate as if relationships matter (Fisher
et al.
1991;
Susskind
et al.
1999). Fostering trust and building relationships is facili-
tated by good ground rules established early in any consultation process,
whether in a public meeting, workshop, or an advisory committee, to
ensure all are heard and respected.
O
Neutrality - In processes requiring conflict resolution, the requirements
are clear: a mediator or 'third party neutral' should not accept his/her role
if there is a conflict of interest (actual, perceived, or potential). Neutrality
is essential to gain trust and no amount of skills or strategies is likely to
encourage resolution if there is a perception of lack of neutrality. As one
of the roles of a facilitator is to keep the process on track, all parties need
to trust in his/her independence. As with facilitation, all parties should
have fair opportunities to participate and be heard. A third party neutral
treats parties even-handedly by applying equal interventions, maintaining
a balance between parties' verbal exchanges, and focusing equally on each
party. The person uses non-judgmental language and asks open-ended
questions; is aware of his/her own personal values; encourages parties to
exchange opinions; and allows parties to propose options (Charlton and
Dewdney 2004). While third party neutrals can often not directly alter any
power imbalance between parties, they have some responsibility through
their control of the process (Boulle 2001: 225). They can influence and
exert power by being present, managing the setting, enforcing ground
rules, using certain techniques (such as active listening, reframing,
summarising), and if necessary terminate the process (Boyle 2005). When
one party has exceptional power, there is little inclination to negotiate or
incentive to make trade-offs and find an acceptable solution to all parties.
O
Deliberation - The greater the opportunity for deliberation the better
chance that a wide variety of views can be incorporated in a decision and
the greater the opportunity to ask questions and share values and interests.
Good communication can result in mutual understanding whereas uncon-
trolled debates often prevent people from understanding each other's
issues (Hogan 2002).
