Services are allocated by a professional hour (50 minutes) increment.
ADR Service List
Crisis Management (per professional hour)
Crisis management is the process by which an organization deals with a disruptive and unexpected event that threatens to harm the organization or its stakeholders. Three elements are common to a crisis: (a) a threat to the organization, (b) the element of surprise, and (c) a short decision time. Crisis management involves dealing with threats before, during, and after they have occurred.
Program Evaluation (per professional hour)
Program evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer questions about projects, policies, and programs, particularly about their effectiveness and efficiency. Program evaluation may be conducted at several stages during a program’s lifetime. Assessment of the need for the program. Assessment of program design and logic/theory. Assessment of how the program is being implemented. Assessment of the program’s outcome or impact. Assessment of the program’s cost and efficiency.
Seminars (one professional hour)
Seminars are a gathering of people for academic instruction of specific topics. Attending a seminar is good for increasing knowledge and networking. The Paula Stephenson Group Seminars are presentations defining conflict and dispute resolution issues. The seminars are usually 50 minutes, no more than 90 minutes and more lecture driven with less participation from audience.
Workshops (one professional hour/six to eight weeks)
Workshops are training classes in which the participants work individually and/or in groups on problem solving tasks to gain hands-on experience. Workshops are used to increase self-understanding and improve relationships. The Paula Stephenson Group workshops are intensive educational programs for a relatively small group of people that focuses especially on conflict management. The workshops are usually once a week and longer than one (1) week up to eight (8) weeks.
Online Dispute Resolution (ODR)
Online Dispute Resolution is a branch of dispute resolution which uses technology to facilitate the resolution of disputes between parties. It primarily involves negotiation, mediation or arbitration, or a combination of all three. In this respect it is often seen as being the online equivalent of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). However, ODR augment traditional means of resolving disputes by applying innovative techniques and online technologies to the process.
Peacemaking Circles (90 minutes/six to eight weeks)
The peacemaking circle is a process that brings together individuals who wish to engage in conflict resolution, healing, support, decision making or other activities in which honest communications, relationship development, and community building are core desired outcomes. Peacemaking circles aim to create a space in which participants are safe to be their most authentic self. Circles use five structural elements, ceremony, guidelines, a talking piece, keeping/facilitation, and consensus decision making.
Consultation (one professional hour)
one or more experts providing professional feedback to an individual or an organization for a fee. The deliverable of a consultant is usually advice or a recipe to follow to achieve a company objective, leading to a company project. Consultation complements the strategic deliverables by providing the means to implement the recommendations, either with the consultant themselves or by providing technicians and/or experts.
Case Evaluation (one professional)
Case evaluation is focused on providing the parties with an evaluation of their case and directing them toward settlement. During a case evaluation process, when the parties agree that the mediator should do so, the mediator will express a view on what might be a fair or reasonable settlement. The Evaluative mediator has somewhat of an advisory role evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each side’s argument.
ADR Peer Review (one professional hour)
Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review methods are used to maintain quality standards, improve performance, and provide credibility. Peer review can be categorized by the type of activity and by the field or profession in which the activity occurs, e.g., medical peer review.
Coaching (one professional hour)
Coaching is the process of helping people identify and achieve personal goals through developing skills and attitudes that lead to self-empowerment. It is an informal relationship between two people, of whom one has more experience and expertise than the other and offers advice and guidance as the latter learns.
Convening and Contracting (per professional hour)
Convening and contracting is the first stage in conflict intervention. The convening of the mediation is often the most difficult and challenging part of the mediation process. Its goal is to pave the way for an actual conflict resolution process such as mediation, negotiation, or consensus building. Its role, as the name implies, is to bring disputants to a preliminary meeting where they will consent to meet and discuss the issues of a conflict and consider options for its resolution.
Dispute Resolution Assistance (per professional hour)
The Dispute Resolution Assistant (DRA) supports staff and parties with dispute resolution functions. The dispute resolution assistant performs administrative duties using dispute resolution terminology, procedures, and documents. DRA assist mediators by investigating facts, prepares dispute resolution papers and correspondence and assist with convening and contracting dispute resolution matters. DRA conducts research to support a dispute resolution meeting, to formulate a case summary, and to initiate the dispute resolution process. And the DRA has expertise in alternative dispute resolution and its standards.
Teleconference (per service hour)
A teleconference is the live exchange and mass articulation of information among several persons and machines remote from one another but linked by a telecommunications system. The telecommunications system may support the teleconference by providing one or more of the following: audio, video, and/or data services by one or more means, such as telephone, computer, telegraph, teletypewriter, radio, and television. Teleconferencing includes internet telephone conferencing, videotelephony, web conferencing, and augmented reality conferencing.
Facilitation (per professional hour)
Facilitation or consensus decision-making refers to group decision-making processes in which participants develop and decide on proposals with the aim, or requirement, of acceptance by all. The focus on avoiding negative opinion differentiates consensus from unanimity, which requires all participants to positively support a decision.
One-Text Procedure (two professional hours)
The one-text procedure is a systematic approach for shifting negotiation away from concessions, eliciting underlying interests, simplifying the process of inventing options, and deciding jointly on one to pursue. The one-text procedure calls for a third-party neutral to compile both sides’ interests and priorities into a single list and then develop a plan to fulfill everything on that list. One-text procedure focuses on separating people from their problems, interests, option, and criteria.
Parent Coordination (one professional hour/six to eight weeks)
Parenting coordination is child-focused alternative dispute resolution process. The process assists parents with parenting plans; creating a healthy co-parent relationship; and settle any ongoing disputes between the parents. Mental health and legal professionals trained in family mediation and parenting coordination/facilitation become Parent Coordinators (P/C).
Conciliation (two professional hours/six to eight weeks)
Conciliation is an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process whereby the parties to a dispute use a conciliator, who meets with the parties both separately and together to resolve their differences. They do this by lowering tensions, improving communications, interpreting issues, encouraging parties to explore potential solutions, and assisting parties in finding a mutually acceptable outcome.
Negotiation (per professional hour)
Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties intended to reach a beneficial outcome over one or more issues where a conflict exists with respect to at least one of these issues. Negotiation is an interaction and process between entities who compromise to agree on matters of mutual interest, while optimizing their individual utilities. This beneficial outcome can be for all the parties involved, or just for one or some of them. It is aimed to resolve points of difference, to gain advantage for an individual or collective, or to craft outcomes to satisfy various interests.
Mediation (four (4) or eight (8) professional hours)
Mediation is a dynamic, structured, interactive process where an impartial third-party assist disputing parties in resolving conflict using specialized communication and negotiation techniques. All participants in mediation are encouraged to actively participate in the process. Mediation is a “party-centered” process in that it is focused primarily upon the needs, rights, and interests of the parties. The mediator uses a wide variety of techniques to guide the process in a constructive direction and to help the parties find their optimal solution. A mediator is facilitative in that she/he manages the interaction between parties and facilitates open communication.
Binding Arbitration (four (4) professional hours)
Binding arbitration is a common form of alternative dispute resolution used by both businesses and individuals in lieu of litigation. It is often cheaper and quicker than filing a lawsuit. It is a useful tool as it can help the parties save much time, money, and energy on the dispute. Binding arbitration means that the decision reached at the end of the arbitration process is final. The parties are bound by the decision and the results are enforceable by law. Both parties agree in advance to abide by the result.
The Paula Stephenson Group 