Now What? Several Projects are Already Putting the Global Pound Conference Philosophy into Real-World Practice

Deborah Masucci, a member of the GPC organizing committee, reflects on the Global Pound Conference’s philosophy for the spring 2018 issue of the Dispute Resolution Magazine.

Now that the Global Pound Conference (GPC) series is over, how can we put its philosophy into practice?

In April of 2016, the International Mediation Institute (IMI), the College of Commercial Arbitrators, and the Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine School of Law set up a joint task force and charged it with examining and developing model standards and criteria for ways of combining different dispute resolution processes in public and private settings – an area that GPC participants identified as one of the ways to improve the future of dispute management and resolution. As Lela Porter Love, Lisa Blomgren Amsler, and Mansi Karol note in their article, the task force is organizing its efforts through six working groups and its report is expected by the end of 2018.

A report developed after the Singapore event covered not only the 20 GPC questions but the discussion of ideas. In Australia, the Department of Justice and Regulation Victoria has drawn on the findings from the open-text questions to develop its new Triage, Resourcing, and Modality Matrix. While currently a pilot, this new tool helps intake officers match the best process for disputants accessing the services at the Dispute Settlement Centre Victoria. The tool also enables data to be captured to identify priorities for dispute resolution practitioner training and/or service delivery options based on the nature of the clients seeking help from the center. The intake and evaluation component of a new department will also use the intake process to enhance its online dispute resolution platform that will be rolled out during 2018. This project also stimulated interest in the Behavioral Insights Unit, which used the model to stimulate conversation more broadly within the Department of Justice and Regulation Victoria. Discussions highlight the potential for the application of the GPC methodology across different contexts.

Further, in 2017 the RMIT University in Melbourne integrated findings from the Singapore Report into its Negotiation and Dispute Resolution courses within its Master of Laws and Juris Doctor program. In particular, the findings are being used to help students develop an understanding of client-centric models of dispute resolution practice and the challenges faced by the justice system. These considerations are important for students as they reflect on their emerging “lawyer identity.”

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), through its Working Group II, has been working on a mechanism to enforce cross-border mediation settlements. At its 68th Session, held in February 2018, delegates agreed to a Convention and Model Law that will be finalized in June 2018 for consideration by the UN Assembly. Adoption of the Convention and Model law is a major advancement – and another outgrowth of one of the findings of the GPC that legislation is an important way to advance the future of the field.

The data collected from the more than 3000 participants in the 29 events has been collected and shared on the Global Pound Conference website. Researchers and those who are simply curious are invited to analyze the data and help advance the learning from the conference series.

The GPC energy has ignited a new initiative – the Global Pound Conversation, an attempt to recast the series as a conversation and keep the rich and vibrant discussions going. You can participate at . By inviting ideas and reflection, we hope new and exciting processes will be cross-cultivated and continue to inspire us all.

Read the full article here.

Written by Deborah Masucci.

Deborah Masucci is a global expert in alternative dispute resolution and dispute management with emphasis on strategic and effective use of mediation and arbitration. She serves as an independent mediator. The panels she serves on and other affiliations can be found at www.debmasucciadr.com. She is a past Chair of the Dispute Resolution Section of the American Bar Association and current Co-Chair of the International Mediation Institute. She was a member of the GPC Central Organizing Committee and its Executive Committee. She can be reached at dm@debmasucciadr.com.

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