Current Projects: Fall 2008
Challenge: Conduct a conflict analysis with recommendation
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a multi-million dollar a year charitable organization dedicated to nonviolence and the recognition of the human dignity inherent in every person. The Quaker focus on consensus-based decision making, equality, and universal participation in public service underpins the organization’s business model. The challenge of this project is to continue developing a set of decision-making and dispute management procedures for the organization, including a way to coordinate national strategic priorities with regional programming, in a way that promotes effective service delivery while also honoring the Friends’ core values.
Our work : Conduct a detailed research on past AFSC conflicts to track patterns, practices, and trends.
Step 1: Map current conflict resolution methods and systems within AFSC in order to better understand the conflict management needs of the organization.
Step 2: Generate broad options for consideration in designing a future dispute resolution system.
Step 3: Prepare a set of educational materials for delivery from project findings.
Final Product: Systematic summary of conflicts, options paper with future systems/methods possibilities, and presentation of findings .
Challenge: Evaluate the dispute management system within the energy industry
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is an independent agency that regulates the inter-state transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. In February of 1999, FERC established the neutral Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) to champion the use of ADR in the energy industry and work through its own conflicts with this system. Currently, with FERC expanding its jurisdiction and new developments both within the energy field and ADR, the DRS hopes to expand and institutionalize the use of ADR activities int he field of energy conflict prevention and resolution. This project seeks to help FERC's DRS in this endeavor.
Our work: Create dispute system recommendations
Step 1: Research the electric, hydroelectric, and natural gas industries to gain understanding into the energy field environment and its needs, as well as past use of ADR.
Step 2: Create and conduct surveys and follow-up interviews with select energy companies in order to gain better understanding into the current obstacles and possible entry points for ADR proccesses.
Step 3: Analzye results using a relevant methodology and produce a report based on this analysis, identifying all key areas of the study.
Final Product: A background case-study of ADR use in the energy field, survey and interview questions, analyses of methodology and results, and a final report on possibilities for institutionalizing ADR processes in the energy industry, as appropriate.
Challenge: Develop an ADR program for the sub-prime mortgage crisis
The Feinberg Group, LLP is the foremost law firm in the nation specializing in the negotiated resolution of complex legal disputes. It has played a leading role in major class actions, bankruptcies, and private commercial disputes. Currently, the unsettled real estate market, with high risk of default for mortgage holders and increasing risk of foreclosure, requires a new assessment of the sub-prime mortgage crisis stakeholder. The Feinburg Group is aware that this climate of instability within the real estate market calls for an innovative approach. For this reason, Ken Feinberg, Special Master for the 9/11 Compensation Fund, is working with HNMCP students to create the model for a more effective dispute management system for use with financial institutions and regulators in the months ahead.
Our work: Design a dispute management system model
Step 1: Research the US mortgage crisis and analyze the findings.
Step 2: After considering all possible key players, conduct comprehensive informant interviews.
Step 3: Disaggregate and analyze relevant parties, dividing them into representative subcategories.
Final Product: A sophisticated analysis and comprehensive report of the current US mortgage crisis and corresponding dispute management structure, a summary of best practices for a future dispute management model, and presentation of these deliverables to a target audience.
Challenge: Develop a culturally-sensitive environmental negotiation training course
The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is one of the nation's most effective environmental action organizations, using law, science and the support of 1.2 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all. The NRDC has been working in China for over twelve years and established a program there in 2005 to improve environmental enforcement in China and strengthen the role of the legal profession, environmental groups,and the public in environmental protection. The challenge of this project is to help the NRDC, in conjunction with the ACLA (All-China Lawyers Association), build a culturally-sensitive training course for lawyers on negotiations and the resolution of environmental disputes in China (held for the first time in March of 2009).
Our work: Present an environmental negotiation training course
Step 1: Do in-depth research into the resolution of complex environmental disputes, including working with NRDC and ACLA to identify China-specific components.
Step 2: Create case-based simulations development for environmental advocacy.
Step 3: Develop professional training materials (written and visual) for instructors and participants.
Step 4: Prepare and present (in Spring of 2009) material to an audience of Chinese lawyers in Beijing, China.
Final Product: Present a compilation of research, training simulations, reading packets for participants and instructors, and presentation of training - with NRDC and ACLA - in China.
Challenge: Conduct a stakeholder/conflict assessment for hospital patients
Union Hospital, part of the non-profit North Shore Medical Center (NSMC), is a 150-actue bed hospital that serves the population of the City of Lynn and surrounding areas. As the largest health care provider in the North Shore area of Boston, Massachusetts, NSMC is aware of the importance of having a truly effective Customer Service and Patient Relations division to manage patient complaints and dispute resolution. For this reason, the Customer Service and Patient Relations team is examining the effectiveness of its processes and operations under the direction of its new manager, the Director of Risk Management and Customer Service. This project, with the help of HNMCP, will allow Union Hospital to enhance clinical and non-clinical staff and patient satisfaction.
Our work: Conduct a stakeholder/conflict assessment
Step 1: Conduct a thorough literature review of health care systems' best practices for customer complaint and dipute resolution.
Step 2: Research Union Hospital's current complaint and dispute management processes, conducting a series of internal stakeholder interviews to determine the status of the current system.
Step 3: Provide a preliminary analysis of current practices and make written recommendations for overall process improvement.
Final Product: A sophisticated analysis of the current dispute management structure, a summary of best practices for dispute management solutions in similar, and a report proposal for possible reforms that might be undertaken for the implementation of systematic process improvements.
| 
