Susan L. Carpenter is a mediator and trainer. She is the founding director of the Program for Community Problem
Solving in Washington, D.C. and a founding board member of the International Association of Public Participation.
She was the associate director of ACCORD Associates, a nonprofit conflict management organization in Boulder, Colorado
for ten years.
Kennedy, W.J.D. :
W.J.D. Kennedy was the executive director of ACCORD Associates for fourteen years. He has consulted with a wide
variety of private organizations and city, county, state, and federal agencies.
Review
"This book has become a classic, offering sound advice about how to understand and use conflict resolution
processes in the public policy arena."
"A classic must-read for professional mediators, public officials, and involved citizens! Managing Public
Disputes is a masterful blend of theory, practical application, and engaging stories that take the conflict resolver
step-by-step through the dynamics of resolving public disputes."
--Susanne Terry, mediator and faculty, Mediation Program, Woodbury College
"Required reading for anyone wanting to turn stalemate into results. It is foundational for the practice and
teaching of collaborative policy making."
--Susan Sherry, executive director, California Center for Public Dispute Resolution, A Joint Program of California
State University, Sacramento and McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific
Jossey Bass Publishing Web Site, January, 2002
Summary
For more than a decade, Managing Public Disputes has been the first choice, hands-on guide for managers, offering
useful instructions for handling a wide range of large and small public controversies from the national to the
community level. It includes:
* Ten proven principles for managing conflict
* A comprehensive framework with step-by-step procedures for creating productive outcomes
* Seven illustrative case examples
* Detailed advice on effective methods for collecting information, conducting interviews, and analyzing a conflict
situation
* Suggestions for handling special problems such as reluctant participants, keeping people at the negotiation table,
and handling situations where emotions are running high
* Eight tasks targeted for designing an overall strategy for managing public disputes
