An instrument developed for the PathFinder By the Consensus Building Institute Consensus Building and Conflict Resolution toolkit Presentation prepared by Pierre Hauselmann

Links and keywords Links with other instruments –Certification for the People –Intiating a NWG –Developing Forest Stewardship Standards - a Survival Guide. Keywords –Decision rules, Goal setting, Ground rules, Independent facilitator, Joint fact finding, Mutual gain negotiation, Stakeholder assessment –Copyrights –CB/CR Toolkit: © 2003 Pi Environmental Consulting, Consensus Building Istitute & WWF –The PathFinder background picture: © WWF-Canon / Michèle Dépraz

Developed by Consensus Building Institute, Inc (CBI) Based on –Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School –MIT-Harvard public dispute program –20 years of practical experience by CBI

Overview Tools to be used at 3 stages of standardisation process –Initiation, –establishment of a standard setting committee (SSC) & –standard development Complement the FSC national initiatives manual

Overview Section 1 –Introduction Section 2 –How to conduct a stakeholder assessment Section 3 –Goals, ground rules and decision rules of a SSC Section 4 –CB & CR tools for standard development

Overview Fictional cases –Fictional examples to stimulate thinking and dialogue Diagrams List of resources

The Consensus Building process Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Stakeholder assessment Establish standard setting committee or NWG Packages for mutual gains For complex scientific and technical questions Distribute value Implementation, monitoring, evaluation and revision Follow through Standardisation process

Stakeholder assessment Identify groups Learn their concerns Assess their incentives Identify areas of agreement and conflicts Begin planning process Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through

Stakeholder assessment Need –Skilled and impartial assessor Needed to bridge between sometime antagonistic stakeholders Key questions –Whether and how to conduct a standard setting process –Key issues to be addressed –Who need to be involved Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through

Stakeholder assessment Tool to –Gather information –Building trust –Maximise chances to reach broad consensus Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through

How to conduct a stakeholder assessment See Annex 7 of the CB/CR toolkit for details

Goal setting –Tailored to specific SSC interests and concerns –Reflects general FSC guidelines –Strong foundation for working together –Spend enough time to make it a meaningful document, but not so much as make it a source of conflict Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through Establishing the Standard Setting Committee (SSC)

Ground rules: –ensure common understanding of roles and responsibilities and create an environment for productive discussions –Roles and responsibilities –Meeting and discussion guidelines –When and how communicate between members and externally –How to resolve conflicts –How to access and use funds Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through Establishing the Standard Setting Committee (SSC)

Decision rules: –consensus seeking and no consensus alternatives strict consensus requirement can block process –If no consensus Voting –2/3 majority of members + simple majority within chambers Identify consensus and non consensus clauses and –have NWG take decision –have an independent body recognised by all SSC members recommend or take decision Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through Establishing the Standard Setting Committee (SSC)

Developing standards Use independent facilitators –ex assessor? –more efficient meetings and reduced interpersonal tension Demonstrated experience Basic understanding of topic Impartiality –Ground rules to allow questioning impartiality by SSC members Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through

Developing standards Joint fact finding –Helps members to get a common understanding –Avoids “expert duelling” –Stakeholder groups work jointly to define technical /scientific questions to be answered identify resource persons monitor progress of studies Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through

Developing standards Mutual gains approach –Reach agreements better for all stakeholders than the “no-agreement” alternative –Not all stakeholders will achieve equal gains –Key stakeholders are willing to participate Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through

Developing standards Reaching decision on contentious issues –Seek wise trade off between clauses –Create contingent agreements Possibility to change agreement in response to future developments –Use fair and objective standard or person Refer to similar situations in other places Ask a reputed “wise person” –Use agreed no-consensus decision rules voting Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through

Developing standards Questions before final agreement –Is the standard wise? –Is it fair? –Is it durable? –How will it be monitored, evaluated and revised? Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through

Make it easy to live up to commitments Agree on monitoring arrangements Align organizational incentives and control Keep working to improve relations Agree to use neutrals to resolve disagreements Initiation Yes/No decision Joint fact finding Generating options Agreement Follow through