Other Ways We Can Help

Beyond the basic conflict resolution processes of facilitation and mediation, we also offer these two supplementary services which can enhance our primary services or be used independently when needed.

Residential Infill Development

Public Engagement

Public engagement helps identify stakeholders whose livelihoods and communities will be affected by a proposed action. Examples include facilities siting and policy changes affecting grazing.

Public engagement also offers stakeholders the forum and opportunity to become engaged.

Understanding the Impact

As a past member of the International Association for Public Participation, we understand that many of the issues involving land use planning, transportation, natural resources management, and the environment impact many different groups.

Successful public engagement requires us to:

  • 1
    Raise awareness among diverse representative groups about the issue at hand.
  • 2

    Help the convenor or sponsor (usually a government or nonprofit organization) to understand and process the views of the participants.

  • 3
    Encourage genuine and direct involvement by stakeholders.

The specific tools for communicating and engaging the community depend upon each group’s communication needs and availability.

Overhead View

Training

Whether your team has a current issue to work through together or you simply want to prepare for challenges and opportunities for the future, our training program sets you up for successful collaborative problem solving and discovery and conflict management.

We help your team learn attitudes, skills, and techniques that can strengthen communication and problem-solving skills and help team members identify areas of common ground.

Two Farmers Walking
Training

We offer skills and awareness training in:

  • Process design
  • Issue framing
  • Listening and effective questioning (communication)
  • Group facilitation
  • Consensus building
  • Conflict assessment and management.

  • Crafting practical and achievable action plans
  • Mediation

“Richard Alper is one of the real pros in the field of collaborative problem solving. His design and training expertise was essential in helping the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County, Maryland, get off the ground, and his facilitation services have helped several community groups turn their differences into joint problem-solving actions.”

Tom Dunne, Former conflict resolution consultant to federal agencies and Search for Common Ground, Co-founder of the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County

Conflict or indecision can stall progress and waste resources.

But it’s possible to find common ground.

Unbiased facilitation creates forward momentum by uncovering solutions based on common desires and goals.