Mediating Conflicts

As experienced mediators, Barry Lawson Associates provides a dispute resolution approach for addressing environmental, intergovernmental and other conflicts.  We establish a productive agenda for securing agreements on problem identification, the collection and effective presentation of relevant evidence and data, debate, discussion, and final resolution.  Throughout the entire process we ensure respectful consideration of all interests and create effective approaches for seeking conclusions mutually satisfactory to all parties.     

Roles of the Mediator

Our reputation is built on our success in getting parties to progress from interim tentative agreements to final consensus.

A water resources agency decided to update the water resource standards that it administers through a permit and regulatory program.  Nearly two dozen parties including private developers, other government agencies and special interest groups have a stake in these standards.  Successful implementation of the standards will depend on whether these stakeholders regard them as reasonable.  The agency makes final decisions, but was eager to conduct its deliberations transparently and with the advice of the stakeholders affected.     The agency asked Barry Lawson Associates to convene and mediate an ad hoc task force representing the interested stakeholders. Within six months the task force recommended comprehensive revisions that represented a satisfactory accommodation of the various stakeholders. The mediator's preparation of progress reports after each mediated session along with plans for successive deliberations were among the keys to the success of the program.