Consulting and Assistance
FRAMEWORK FOR CONFLICT ASSESSMENT
Updated April 2000
John B. Stephens
Institute of Government, UNC-Chapel Hill
© Institute of Government 2000
1. Parties (a constituency and their
spokesperson(s) or representatives)
2. Issues
3. Relationship between parties
4. Positions
5. Interests
6. Resources for pursuing the conflict
Definitions of Terms for Assessing
Conflicts
1. Party: A person, group or organization
that is involved in a conflict. A party has a stake
in the outcome of the conflict, i.e., the conflict affects
what they want or what they wish to avoid. "Parties"
are also called "disputants" and sometimes "stakeholders."
- A party can be one person: e.g., a child fighting
over a toy with another child
- A party can be a small group: a family, a team,
or a neighborhood group
- Parties can be large organizations: e.g., two
countries at war; two corporations engaged in a
lawsuit.
Constituency: the formal or informal
group of people for whom a party seeks to help through
advocacy, negotiation or other means. Examples: a parent
acting on behalf of his/her child, a religious leader
representing members of a church. Spokesperson(s) or
representative(s) - The person or people acting on behalf
of a party in a conflict. Representatives have the authority
to negotiate, commit others in the organization to an
agreement, or take other actions to influence the conflict.
A spokesperson usually can only make commitments after
checking with the leader(s) of the party.
2. Issues: the topics on which
parties have different positions.
Examples: the appropriate level
of funding for a program; requirements for issuing
a permit;
Important: how issues are defined
makes a big difference in thinking about potential
solutions. Issues can range from material resources,
to people's behavior, attitudes, or feelings. Issues
can be linked together (e.g., certain issues have
to be settled in sequence), or as separate concerns.
Issues can change over time.
3. Relationship between the parties
How have past interactions affected
the views of the parties?
Is the relationship set by law, tradition
or only defined by the particular conflict?
How formal and fixed, or informal and
flexible, is the relationship?
Does one side have more power? If so,
what kind of power?
Factors that define parties' relationships include: proximity; work/financial links; characteristics
such as race, gender or ethnicity; professional specialty.
4. Position: a specific request,
proposal or demand.
The "what" of disputants' claims
or needs. The amount, level, rule or other particular,
detailed part of what disputants' want.
Examples: A 6% pay increase.
Issue the permit without restrictions. Locate the
halfway house away from my home.
5. Interest: the goal(s) or reason(s)
behind a position.
The "why" of disputants' claims
or needs. The need, objective, desire or general wish
of what disputants' want.
Examples: A 6% pay increase in
order to pay higher child care costs. Issue the permit
without restrictions to begin construction quickly.
Concern about safety and posible effects on property
values from having a halfway house near one's home.
Usually there is more than one position
that can satisfy an interest. Similarly, a particular
position may relate to more than one underlying interest.
6. Resources: the kinds of things
that can be used to pursue a conflict.
Examples: money; people (e.g., number
of members in a group, allies who vote together, or
special relationships); appeals to moral standards;
expertise or information; a formal position of authority;
access to publicity and the media.
Note: this is a basic framework that
can be useful in a variety of conflict situations, but
was designed primarily for conflict over public issues.
|
