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This Website is intended to provide information about the Department's ADR efforts and to help you -- whether you are a DOT employee, a DOT contractor, a DOT customer or stakeholder, or perhaps an ADR professional -- learn about ADR within DOT.
Considering ADR
Disputes in the Federal sector arise in a variety of contexts. Acquisition-related disputes are typically bid protests brought by parties who are seeking awards of government contracts. Disputes in the workplace may be among or between employees, between employees and their managers, union grievances, or EEO complaints. Disputes arise under environmental laws among parties seeking access to or protecting natural resources. Civil enforcement disputes are as varied as the enforcement roles of the Department itself. In rulemaking, the various affected interests tend to develop adversarial relationships with each other causing them to take extreme positions, to withhold information, and to attack the legitimacy of opposing views. These conflicts have a cost. They can lead to low morale in organizations, delays projects, and years of litigation.
Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR is a collaborative, consensual dispute resolution approach. ADR encompasses mediation, facilitation, conciliation, fact finding, mini-trials, negotiation, negotiated rulemaking, neutral evaluation, policy dialogues, use of ombuds, arbitration, and other processes that usually involve a neutral third party who assists the parties in preventing, minimizing the escalation of, and resolving disputes. Federal agencies and the private sector are increasingly using ADR to resolve disputes more quickly and less expensively, and to achieve solutions to problems that are acceptable to all affected parties.
ADR gives disputants an opportunity to fully participate in the outcome of their dispute. They often find that the process is far more satisfying and effective than traditional adversarial resolution.
The Dispute Resolution Council furthers the use of ADR across the Department. The Council, chaired by the Department's Dispute Resolution Specialist, is comprised of representatives appointed by heads of modal administrations and secretarial officers and the Inspector General, who serve as Deputy Dispute Resolution Specialists to promote and coordinate the use of ADR within their organizations and coordinate with their Regulation or liaison Officer with regard to ADR policy as it relates to rulemaking under the Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1996. The Dispute Resolution Council:
Council members can assist you in designing a conflict resolution system, providing ADR awareness training, and finding mediators or other ADR neutrals.
On June 3, 2002, Secretary of Transportation, Norman Y. Mineta, issued a Policy Statement regarding the Department's commitment to ADR.
News and information offers recent news and information on ADR from inside and outside of DOT. Learn more about the department's ADR efforts and training opportunities.
In December 1999, the Department submitted a Report to the White House providing detailed information on the ADR Program at DOT.
In October 2001, the Dispute Resolution Council completed a Program Evaluation on the use of ADR in DOT.
The Dispute Resolution Council is compiling information on the department's use of ADR in FY2002. Please contact your organization's council representative for further information.
The Department offers ADR learning and development opportunities. Sample courses include:
Links to the following ADR websites will connect you to other sites of interest:
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Updated: 5/18/2007
