Preamble

Sets of Recommendations:

1. Mission Statement

2. Vision

3. Goals

4. 2003 Section Objectives

5. Mutual Learning Network

6. OCM Website

7. OCM Section Activities - ACR 2003 Annual Conference

8. 2003 OCM Section Meeting

9. Criteria for Acceptance of OCM Conference Proposals

10. Proposed Organizational Structure

Member Opportunities for Involvement and Next Steps

The purpose of this document is to present the draft OCM Strategic Action Plan (the Plan) for OCM Section members' review and input. While we recognize that a variety of interests and priorities exist, we propose focusing on the following discussion items through conference calls, written exchanges, and the annual OCM Section meeting in October 2003 for fine tuning.

This Plan recommends updated wording on the OCM Section mission, vision, and goals to better reflect current member interests, and recommends objectives for OCM to focus on in 2003. The Plan also highlights of the work of the Mutual Learning Network (MLN) Committee, which has recently worked to refine the prototype ACR is developing for OCM's on-line horizontal (peer-to-peer) learning network. Recommendations are also made for the OCM web site, upcoming section activities and products, and for the creation of new committees to strengthen our organizational structure and actively engage our members.

1. Mission Statement - where we’re at

Recommendation (revised wording): The OCM mission is to support practitioners in developing highly effective integrated conflict management systems that enable organizations to implement systemic responses to conflict, which promote both critical business needs and core human resource values. Our guiding premise is that through the development of organizational conflict prevention and management principles, organizations can in turn enhance society's ability to deal constructively with conflict.

2. Vision – where we want to get to

Our vision is the creation of a community of practitioners who:

• Promote the integration of highly effective conflict prevention and management systems into organizational change and development processes; and
• Improve their skills and relationships through continuous learning.

3. Goals - How we will know we have gotten there:

Our Section and/or OCM members will:

• Provide the infrastructure and fora to formally and informally connect members and their ideas and experiences;
• Identify practice models, practitioner standards, and organizational standards;
• Foster the development of best practices and provide educational opportunities for members to remain current with best practices;
• Build awareness and connect OCM members with others interested in organizational conflict management within other ACR sections, as well as with other conflict resolution disciplines and organizations;
• Educate and build awareness of OCM in the conflict resolution community; and
• Promote and market the OCM Section and its conflict management principles and practices.

4. 2003 Section Objectives

Recommendation: Specific section objectives proposed for 2003 are to:

• Build awareness of OCM Section mission, goals, membership benefits, and defining characteristics in relation to other ACR sections and areas of practice;
• Ensure a highly successful conference presence;
• Increase OCM membership;

• Continue educational efforts for section members, for instance by
• completing the needs assessment (April 2001 Skills Assessment on current website) and
• soliciting proposals for pre-conference OCM or mid-year conference OCM themes; and
• Strengthen communications. Some ideas are to create an OCM Newsletter; use the ACR update; pilot the two portions of the Mutual Learning Network (see below); hold quarterly c-calls, etc.

5. Mutual Learning Network (MLN)

Background: The OCM Section has developed the Mutual Learning Network to provide opportunities for collaborative peer-to-peer learning among section members. We hope to begin a pilot of the Network as soon as ACR completes technical site development. Section members are invited to join in the MLN Committee activities as we launch this exciting project. Please let us know what is working for you and what needs improvement—or take a leadership role in helping to develop the Network in one of the areas below. After we learn from the pilot, we also hope to add further aspects to the Network.

Recommendation: To begin, we recommend the inclusion of the following items on the MLN website:

· SENIOR PRACTITIONER INTERVIEW

· THINK TANK

· NEWSLETTER

· LIBRARY

· SECTION MEETING MINUTES

· FEEDBACK ON THIS WEBSITE

6. OCM Web Site

• Recommended Site Use: Given that the MLN offers a more interactive site for OCM members, it is recommended that the OCM web site serve as a public, static home page. Section plans and current development activities could be focused on an overall revitalization of the Section’s presence on the ACR site as our primary "public face."

• Recommended Content: The Web site would consist of an opening statement and headers with one sentence descriptors. Headers proposed include our:
• mission, vision, goals, section objectives;
• section leadership (names), committees and committee members;
• membership information (number, composition, area of practice, etc.)
• diversity statement;
• Mutual Learning Network purpose and descriptor;
• resource links (CRInfo, Mediate.com, etc.);
• Perspectives newsletter, ‘Learn more about the field of OCM’ (links to a few of our existing or new articles profiling the field or our members);
• Invitation on how members can get involved.
• Other Recommendations:
• That OCM redoes the skills survey before we repost it to MLN, and in the meantime, remove the survey from the current OCM webpage.
• That we remove the OST article and archive it under the MLN site.
• That we keep ‘section updates’.
• That we add a ‘What’s New’ section (new resource tools, developments, events, etc.).

7. OCM Section Activities - ACR 2003 Annual Conference:

Background: What follows are some initial recommendations for OCM events and activities to be held in conjunction with the ACR 2003 Annual Conference. Please note that an OCM Section Meeting will be held during the ACR Annual Conference itself, as will other ACR section meetings.

Recommendations:

• Standing events for OCM Section Meetings: OCM Orientation, Open Space Technology, and Mercado.

• Field Trips to local venues and attractions
• Cocktail party
• Opportunity for committee members to meet and/or be honoured- ex. Lunch; cocktail party; etc. Establish linkage with leadership committee.
• Speakers; dinner with speaker; etc

Background: We agreed that it is most important to find out what you want to see at the upcoming section conference. While we anticipate providing some educational components this time around; we need your help in identifying what issues are most important to you. General ideas we discussed focused on sessions on theory, skills, hot topics, tools, people, one or more tracks, and opportunities to connect with other ACR sections.

Recommendation: Some more specific ideas are presented here for your consideration. Our recommendation would be that both ideas would be complemented in the agenda by Open Space Technology (OST) sessions, as these free-form discussions have been a successful hallmark of previous OCM section conferences.

• Mercado/Institute
• ½ day Innovations Mercado, with a panel lead by an OCM member. Context- OCM orientation. Then ‘Here’s an OCM scenario; where would your tool enter?’ Ask panelists to establish the link. (Ex- emotional intelligence; conflict dynamics profile; emergenetics.)
• ½ day Advanced OCM Practitioners Best Practices/ Innovations- follows the same principle as the other 1/2 day mercado. Could ask panelists to make 20 minute presentations each, and have the panel moderated by an OCM member.

• Panel discussions:

• On different models (ex. Ombuds vs. mediation vs. other) within a specific setting (ex. Universities) or
• On different sectors (ex. Industry-Government-Health Care-Natural Resources)

Background: We felt it was important to establish criteria for accepting proposals at the annual and section conferences to truly meet our members’ needs.

Recommendations:

• That proposals together provide a balance to the extent possible between:

• Theory-research-practice;
• Basic-intermediate-advanced levels; and
• Individual-panel discussions.

• Categories proposed include:
• Theory – ex. systems theory; organizational development; experiential adult learning theory.
• Conflict behaviour in organizations.
• Assessment phase (of conflict management systems design)
• Implementation phase; case studies.
• Evaluation phase and tools.
• Entry and contracting.
• Applications beyond the workplace.
• Innovative tools and practices.
• Linkages between OCM and organizational cultures; cross-cultural or diverse settings.
• Others related to business of OCM section.

• Each year ask presenters who are selected to write a short article that we can place in turn on the OCM mutual learning network (MLN) site. This would serve to inform potential attendees about the session.

10. Organizational Structure

Background & Benefits: We propose strengthening the section’s organizational structure through the creation of committees so that we can:

• Provide you with the opportunity to get involved, learn, educate and mentor each other;
• Meet our annual section objectives;
• Help you develop relationships and strengthen networks;
• Increase our section activity;
• Acknowledge and reaffirm the interest you have shown in contributing your know-how and skills to advancing our section; and
• Find good leadership and recognize people who have been active and have a successful track record.

Recommendations:

1. That OCM establish committees for two-year terms, each with committee chairs (or co-chairs), specific projects and roles, a link to the leadership committee.
2. That OCM Committees include leadership, nominations, membership, special projects, Mutual Learning Network, and Communications.

• Recommendations:
• It is proposed that this committee continue until the October 2003 ACR Conference OCM Section Meeting, at which time we revisit this model and in accordance with broader section election procedures brought forth by the Nominations Committee.
• Explore having a leadership committee in lieu of a section chair or co-chair positions.
• Promote diversity in section leadership roles.
• Mandate: The committee guides the section vision, strategy and section goals, and leadership succession.
• Member roles: Members have subject matter and specific roles so that we build a capability within the section to carry work out.

• Mandate: This committee will be responsible for creating the qualifications for future Chair or Co-Chairs, as well as the slate of nominees, in accordance with the recently published ACR Section Election Procedures.

• Mandate: To recruit and orient members; define membership benefits, create opportunities, and coordinate member activities/events. To ensure F-U-N! To consider establishment of membership categories (e.g., advanced status)

• Mandate: Set up Section Conference for October 2003.
• OCM volunteers/preliminary organizing committee identified at August 2002 OCM section meeting. Note- ACR handles logistics

Mutual Learning Network (Ellen Wayne and Scott Sears as liaisons)

• Mandate: Develop and enhance the section’s web-based mutual learning network.
• Roles: Specific help needed:
• Moderator(s), Senior Practitioner Interview;
• Coordinator, Think Tank;
• Resource Manager, content management and archiving of mutual learning network resources;
• Evaluator(s);
• Needs Assessment Chair/Committee Members.

• Mandate: Lead internal and external communications on behalf of the OCM section. This includes, and is not limited to, activities such as:
• identifying existing and regular communications pieces and prioritizing their development, for ex. the OCM Perspectives Newsletter, ACR Update, OCM banner, quarterly ACR Magazine, publications, collaboration and communication with other ACR sections and non-ACR entities.
• identifying parameters for choosing what OCM puts on OCM website, ex. articles, ads, bibliography links, etc., in accordance with ACR guidelines and OCM section goals.

OCM members who are prepared to help us accomplish the critical tasks to complete this strategic planning effort are encouraged to become involved. Each of the above recommendations will be discussed in the upcoming section conference calls and through other means. Based on member review of this proposal we will together determine our next steps and timelines.