Agency ADR Assessment & Planning Tool
(This Assessment Tool is for internal agency* use as an aid in developing an ADR Plan for your agency. It is recommended that it be used in conjunction with the “Guidelines for Using the Agency ADR Assessment & Planning Tool”)
1. What is the agency’s mission? Is there a shared understanding of what the agency does, both within and outside the agency?
2. Does the agency have any policies, procedures, laws or regulations regarding the use of ADR?
3. List the various types of conflicts the agency experiences. Roughly estimate the number of each type of conflict the agency might experience in one year.
4. Using whatever general measure you choose, how much time is spent on each type of conflict? What types of conflicts are the most disruptive to the agency? Which types of conflicts are recurring?
5. In each type of conflict, does your agency play the role of: a) disputant, b) interested third-party, c) enforcer of laws or regulations, d) other?
6. For the most disruptive and/or recurring conflicts, who are the disputing parties? How organized are they? Are there other parties that frequently have a stake in the outcome of these conflicts?
7. For the most disruptive and/or recurring conflicts, what conflict resolution methods does your agency typically use? Who makes decisions about which conflict resolution forum to use? Why does your agency use these methods?
8. Do these conflicts get resolved? Do the resolutions last? Are the disputants generally satisfied with the resolutions?
9. For the most disruptive and/or recurring conflicts, what are the costs involved? staff time? expenses? What effect do they have on on-going relationships? on the organization’s mission?
10. What is the earliest point and/or lowest level at which the agency regularly handles conflicts? Are there practices or systems in place to identify potential conflicts early?
11. Are agency meetings, both public and internal, effectively planned and facilitated?
12. Has the agency provided or sponsored training for its staff in meeting facilitation, negotiation, mediation, or some other aspect of ADR?
(The following questions are provided to help in the creation of an Agency ADR Plan, AFTER completing your assessment.)
A. Having assessed the way conflict is handled in your agency, what is working well? What could be working better? What is missing?
B. What are the most important goal(s) for using ADR in your agency?
C. Where might ADR processes be used most effectively in your agency?
D. What obstacles or barriers to implementing ADR can you anticipate?
E. What resources, both within and outside your agency, are available for your use? How will you use these resources in: a) the ADR assessment, b) the creation of an agency ADR plan, c) designing an ADR system for your agency, d) providing intervention, mediation, facilitation, regulatory negotiation or some other ADR services.
F. How can your agency build its in-house capacity and improve its understanding of ADR?
G. Is there an interest or need for ADR training?
H. What systems or practices will the agency use to identify and review conflicts/disputes for ADR potential? Describe how such an identification and review system would work.
I. What benchmarks will you use to measure the success of your plan?