Who We Serve
Where Expertise in Collaboration & Industry Meet
We provide conflict management and stakeholder engagement services to companies, organizations, and governments. Our collaborative services improve development and public works projects and strengthen decision making and performance of organizations.
Between Companies and Communities
Companies and communities live in shared spaces and have on-going relationships. Conflicts between companies and communities are extremely costly and can be misaligned with your corporate values. Both groups can impact one another for better or worse. We can help you get it right.
Our situation assessments, dispute system design, and facilitation services can provide your company with a robust stakeholder engagement program as part of your corporate social responsibility work. When a serious issue between your company and community emerges, we can provide mediation and multi-party facilitation to resolve the conflict and find new solutions to work together.
We specialize in the Energy, Engineering/Construction, Financial/Banking, International Development, Organizational Operations and Management, and Transportation & Infrastructure industries. We know the language these industries speak, the science that underpins them, and the players involved.
Inside Organizations
Whether you’re a company, a foundation, or a government agency, your organization is driven by people. In organizations, interpersonal conflict is inevitable and is extremely costly in terms of money, performance, and team morale. There is good news. First, conflict is manageable. Second, you can use conflict for your organization’s benefit. When conflict is used productively you can improve decision making and increase innovation.
If your team is experiencing negative conflict, we can intervene with a mediation or team facilitation and get the crisis resolved quickly. Our assessment services can identify your team’s strengths and challenges. To be proactive, we can design a dispute resolution system or create and service an organizational ombuds office. Our training services can help you build capacity, so your team can improve their communication and conflict management skills.
Government and Communities
Conflict and instability happen in every society. When multiple parties all have competing needs conflict can emerge. We see this happen in land disputes; around elections; when development, infrastructure, and public works projects affect nearby communities; and other big, complex social issues.
Government entities and public policy are the ultimate conveners, creating the systems that advance public goals and protect communities. We have deep experience bringing together disparate groups to find mutually agreeable solutions. Our assessments and dispute system design can set a foundation of constructive communication and interactivity. When challenges arise we can facilitate problem solving and decision making processes with all necessary stakeholders.
Case Study: Company-Community Environmental Conflict
Industry: Environment
Client: Local Government
Services: Stakeholder Engagement, Dialogue Facilitation, Conflict Coaching
In a project where a hazardous waste company sought a conditional use permit to expand operations. The government was responsible for putting together a commission to represent affected stakeholders in negotiations with the hazardous waste company. Stakeholders included approximately 1000 residents, agricultural workers, and migrant workers, all of whom live below the poverty line, as well as advocacy groups who were opposed to any expansion of the facilities operations. The concerns of the stakeholders was that the hazardous waste would make harmful impacts to their health.
Over four months, an MBB Consultant conducted a series of community meetings and dialogues. The project positioned the residents to negotiate with the company. The results of the process included the community receiving approximately $2,000,000 in concessions, the company obtained its conditional use permit, and the company provided the benefits agreed to in the negotiation.