The Program: Process Design for Complexity

Spring 2024 — Date TBD

in Greater Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Complex multi-party, multi-issue conflicts often seem chaotic to mediators, diplomats, executives, and disputants. Learn to build mediation process designs that enable parties and their constituents to develop actionable and sustainable agreements. With well-constructed process strategies, mediators and conflict managers respond to conflict challenges as elements of knowable systemic dynamics.

Process design is the strategic infrastructure that enables large, diverse groups to resolve complex conflict. The numerous inter-related moving parts of parties, issues, power relations, history, dynamics, and constraints create configurations that require uniquely tailored process designs. By understanding the basic building blocks of process design and learning to refine and sequence process mechanisms, mediators and managers can effectively use the opportunities created by complexity for successful conflict resolution. Strategic process designs are implemented in international peacemaking, public policy, and business contexts.

The program is composed of three components:

  • Participate in an exclusive, highly interactive, three-day workshop that will train you to identify critical characteristics and dynamics within complex systems in order to design uniquely tailored processes that will result in actionable and sustainable outcomes.

    During this program, co-learners will:

    • Discover the basic building blocks of process design

    • Learn to identify critical characteristics and dynamics within complex conflict systems

    • Develop strategic thinking processes for addressing complex systems

    • Understand how to tailor process mechanisms to specific dynamics, perceived barriers and challenges

    • Design and reflect upon process infrastructure

    • Acquire techniques to adjust and refine resilient process designs during implementation

  • Through bi-monthly video conference calls led by Susan Podziba, program members will discuss project implementation, receive both expert and peer support and advice, and use identified challenges to draw out generalized lessons for practice.

  • Each program participant may choose to add to their program 10 hours of one-on-one coaching from Susan, over a period of one year. Coaching sessions will be in conducted via zoom or in person, if possible.

Who should attend?

This program is for diplomats, special envoys, high level mediators, governing authorities, investors and executives. It is be specifically designed for professionals who have in the past, are currently, or will in the near future mediate, consult, and/or manage large scale complex conflicts that impact communities, societies, states, tribes, nations, and other large constituencies. Co-learners should have the potential to engage parties with the power and authority to act in support of resolving known conflicts. 

Susan Podziba, author of Civic Fusion: Mediating Polarized Public Disputes, is a world-renowned process design expert. She has provided process design training and support to seasoned mediators, including United Nations special envoys and World Bank mediators. Her process designs have resulted in agreements that have affected the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Contact Us for More Information and an Application

The Process Design for Complexity Program