I am pleased to announce the opening of the Request for Proposals for the Student Conflict Resolution Experts (SCORE) program for the 2007 - 2008 school year. We are accepting applications from schools who are interested in working in partnership with a Local Community Mediation Program (LCMP) on the development of a SCORE program.

As you may know, SCORE uses trained student mediators to help resolve conflict between and among their peers. The model for SCORE is a unique collaboration among the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), middle, junior, and high schools, and LCMPs. The grant funds are awarded to the school to support a local SCORE partnership. The school funds staff from the LCMP who implements the program in the school.

As a condition of participation, we require the partnership to raise matching funds for the community mediation program to hire a SCORE Coordinator to work in the school exclusively to develop and direct a peer mediation program. The Coordinator=s responsibilities include program development, recruiting and training student mediators, scheduling and supervising student mediation sessions, conducting post-mediation follow-up, and working collaboratively with school and AGO staff. The partnering LCMP is responsible for hiring and supervising the SCORE Coordinator. The AGO collects data from SCORE programs and provides training and technical assistance to the partnership as needed. Subject to funding availability, we anticipate awarding grants of up to $20,000 per school.

This year we are also offering a SCORE Training Grant. This differs from the traditional grant in that the responsibility of the LCMP is limited to the initial training of student mediators. The management of the program is left to school staff. Some of the grant funds may be used to stipend school staff as well as to pay the LCMP for the training of the students.

Staff from my office will conduct two pre-proposal conferences to help potential applicants understand the requirements of the program and how to apply for a SCORE grant. To register to attend a pre-proposal conference, please contact Dawn Fontaine, Program Coordinator at 617-727-2200 x 2934 or by e-mail at dawn.fontaine@ago.state.ma.us
The pre-proposal conferences will we held on:

April 12, 2007 at our regional office in New Bedford and
April 13, 2007 at our regional office in Springfield.

You may download a copy of the Request for Proposals from the website, www.ago.state.ma.us. The due date for applications is May 15, 2007. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Nora Mann, Chief of the Community Information and Education Division at 617-727-220 x2356 or nora.mann@state.ma.us.

Cordially,

Martha Coakley

Massachusetts Attorney General

When the Boss is a Bully or Jerk

By Tom Kosakowski of the Ombuds Blog
MNSBC has two stories today about bad bosses. (Either these stories are becoming more common or I’m just better at finding them.) The first story was prompted by an Elle/MSNBC survey that found 16 percent of employees considered their bosses to be bullies. Stephen R. Covey (of “7 Habits” fame) advises approaching the boss calmly, learning to live with the stress or looking for another job. The second article features advice from Robert I. Sutton, author of a recent best seller, “The No A—— Rule.” He urges employers to screen out and purge jerks. For the unfortunate victims, Sutton says the best options are becoming indifferent or quitting. (How to Cope When the Boss is a Bully; Advice for Tackling Workplace Jerks; related Ombuds Blog post NYT Career Couch: If Bullied, Visit Ombuds.)

JAMS co-produced workshop on International Arbitration & Mediation, Mar. 27, in Los Angeles, CA, you will gain tips and strategies for the resolution of complex international disputes, with special consideration to matters based in Asia. Join program co-chairs Cedric C. Chao, Esq. of Morrison & Foerster LLP, Jay Welsh, Esq. of JAMS, and a faculty of leading practitioners, including senior corporate counsel from such major multinationals as Bechtel and Nike, to discuss what corporate counsel, litigators and professionals involved in transnational ADR need to know. Sign up soon. You can register here What: International Arbitration & Mediation When: March 27, 2007 Where: Los Angeles, CA (Omni Los Angeles Hotel) Details: International Arbitration & Mediation Workshop or call us at (800) 854-8009

To all affiliates and other professionals that do work with POTSADR. We are pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with Zipcar. The deal allows drivers to receive the preferred business rate - a significant savings from normal Zipcar accounts. Click on the link to join. Use coupon code MMURPHY to received $25 in driving credit when you join. Please also send an email to jgordon@potsadr.com, as Josh will need to approve all requests. Thank you!

Spring 2007 Online Course in Online Dispute Resolution offered by UMass Online https://www.umassulearn.net/Default.asp ODR, Online Dispute Resolution, currently is the hottest area of the ADR field, but it is still in its infancy and there are many questions about how and when to apply ODR to disputes. Do the rules of offline ADR apply to ODR? How does technology change the equation? Can dispute resolution efforts be effective when parties are not face-to-face? How can offline neutrals best translate their skills online? How can ODR compliment ADR? A complicating factor in the growth of ODR and the application of technology to dispute resolution is a growing body of “digital natives” using technology as an integral part of their everyday lives. These “digital natives” pose interesting problems for “digital immigrants” who have not, and probably will not, integrate technology into their lives in as complete a manner. In this online course we will examine the development of ODR, consider the key questions about its use, think through some of the new challenges it poses to neutrals and systems designers, and look at many of the major providers, administrative agencies, and international organizations currently involved. We will also do hands-on work with state-of-the-art ODR technologies through a series of simulations. Daniel Rainey, head of mediation services with the National Mediation Board (rainey@nmb.gov); Alan Gaitenby, executive director of the Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution – Legal Studies, UMass, Amherst (gaitenby@legal.umass.edu ) Instructor: Alan Gaitenby and Daniel Rainey Email: gaitenby@legal.umass.edu rainey@nmb.gov LEGAL 391N Online Dispute Resolution 24541 Online 3 Open Register Continuing & Professional Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst. www.umassulearn.net • academicprograms@contined.umass.edu • 413-545-2414 Course Fees: $870.00 Materials Fee ($0.00 per credit): $0.00 Infrastructure Fee: $0.00 Transit Fee ($2.00 per credit): $0.00 Registration Fee: $40.00 Total: $910.00

A few updates on the Outside the Box / Inside the Ring Conflict Resolution Curriculum…

We are pleased to announce that all of the lesson plans and exercises will be made available via this website by early August. Our goal with this program has always been to be able to provide the innovative material to as many organizations, as possible.

In addition, a video from our pilot implementation is available on the Outside the Box / Inside the Ring webpage. Check it out!

The plan with publishing the hardcopy book has been delayed, for now. This is a large undertaking and our primary goal is in ensuring that the program remains accessible and we believe that the website approach is the best approach at this time.

***Schools, non-profits, and other educational settings are authorized to use our copyrighted material free of charge so long as they are not used in any profit making capacity. Other organizations must contact us to gain expressed written permission prior to using the material.***

An interesting article by Jared Sandberg of the Wall Street Journal.

 Click here to read.

In addition to offering custom training, POTSADR has entered into an affiliate relationship with the Mediation Training Institute International, a division of Dana Mediation Institute (DMI). This arrangement permits you to receive a discount for training offered by DMI. To receive your discount, COPY DOWN THIS NUMBER: 7617. When you sign up for a training, enter this number on the order form next to the box that requests your CCA#. You may also give the number to the Institute’s registrar if you register by phone. Discounts also apply to computer-based, in-house, and privately arranged training.

Click Here to be taken to the Dana Mediation Institute website.