Turning Conflict into Consensus

May 5 - 9, 2008
Silver Spring, Maryland

Basic 40 hour mediation training

Expertise

Mediation & ADR | Meeting Facilitation | Training | Ombudsman Services | Dispute System Design and Consulting | Environmental Policy and Dispute Resolution | Consulting and Program Design

Mediation & ADR

Mediation, arbitration and neutral fact finding are among the services we provide to our clients. Areas of mediation expertise include business, disability, employment, environmental and public policy, estate and personal injury mediation. We have experience handling small and medium size cases ranging from 2 to 25 parties.Representative projects include:

• Mediation provider for Washington and Baltimore area law firms
• Case evaluation and conflict assessment for civil enforcement actions
• Investigations of employment grievances for community college and county government agency
• Case Studies

Meeting Facilitation

Alternative Resolutions conducts a thorough convening process to determine client needs, project objectives and desired outcomes.  We use a multi-tiered approach to solving organizational problems beginning each project with a wide mouth funnel of data and ending with consensus based solutions. Our meetings are effective, efficient and get results. Professional meeting facilitation allows managers to focus on the mission of the meeting not its schedule. Representative projects include:

• Meeting of academic, industry and government leaders for the Department of Homeland Security
• Team building and strategic planning retreat for federal and county government agencies
• Agency-wide workgroup meetings resulting in consensus on an EPA hazardous waste policy
• Case Studies

Training

Alternative Resolutions conducts conflict management training that allows co-workers to improve communication so employees can resolve issues themselves before disputes arise. These classes are designed to meet clients' unique needs. Email for information on upcoming mediation training class.

Ombudsman Services

An ombudsman offers neutral, impartial and confidential assistance to help address and fairly resolve work-related matters which employees and management may otherwise be reluctant to bring forward. With one client, Ms Kandell functioned as a conflict coach enabling an employee to address sensitive issues himself thereby averting litigation. With another client, Ms. Kandell helped mitigate the negative effects of organizational changes and funding cuts on staff morale.

Dispute System Design and Consulting

With over a decade of federal sector experience, Ms. Kandell brings perspective and practical know-how in management and implementation of new programs in large organizations.Ms. Kandell designed pilot initiatives which resulted in an eightfold increase in ADR use. Organizations developing new conflict resolution programs experience shifts in the way they do business. We understand those issues and can help make the shift to more collaborative processes.

Environmental Policy and Dispute Resolution

Ms. Kandell has managed environmental enforcement projects for the EPA and developed expertise in numerous environmental programs as well as the Administrative and Alternative Dispute Resolution Acts. She also prosecuted and defended environmental cases as Chief Assistant Solicitor in Philadelphia.

Consulting and Program Design

Ms. Kandell has a decade of federal sector experience gained at a time when dispute resolution policy and practice expanded tremendously. To every assignment, she brings perspective and practical know how in management and implementation of new programs in large organizations. Ms. Kandell designed a pilot initiative to help EPA regions increase alternative dispute resolution (ADR) use. The results of this project were extremely positive; one region's ADR use increased eightfold and others showed significant activity. During her tenure at EPA, Ms. Kandell developed the Agency's ADR program.

Organizations developing new conflict resolution programs experience shifts in the way they do business. Alternative Resolutions understands those issues and can help make the shift to more collaborative processes.