Programs and Services

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) consists of a variety of approaches to early intervention and dispute resolution.  Many of these approaches include the use of a neutral individual such as a mediator who can assist disputing parties in resolving their disagreements.   ADR increases the parties' opportunities to resolve disputes prior to or during the use of formal administrative procedures and litigation (which can be very costly and time-consuming).   It typically is not intended to replace the more traditional approaches and it can provide long term solutions to employee-employer conflicts through stakeholders' participation and buy-in.   In contrast, traditional dispute resolution procedures often impose a "solution" handed down by a third party (e.g., a judge), where neither party walks away satisfied, and the disputing parties' conflict continues or increases.

Mediation is VA’s preferred method of ADR. Mediation is an interactive process in which a neutral third party meets with the disputants in an attempt to facilitate discussions and seek reconciliation. It is a voluntary, highly effective, less costly and less time-consuming approach to resolving work place disputes compared to the traditional EEO complaint process.

ADR Services Offered by ORM

To assist in the development of an effective ADR program throughout VA, ORM offers the following services:

• Mediation Available During EEO Complaint Process

ORM offers mediation at each stage of the EEO complaint process (counseling, procedural determinations, and investigations).

• Trained Mediators

ORM also offers a trained cadre of mediators who are available to mediate disputes throughout VA. 

• ADR Program Design

ORM assists the Administrations in designing and implementing mediation programs at their facilities. This includes developing mediation policies and referral programs; developing marketing strategies; providing mediation skills and awareness training to supervisors and employees.

• ADR Training

ORM offers a variety of ADR training programs.  They include:

For more information on ORM ADR services, call  Tracey Therit at (202) 501-2935.  For more information on the ADR training programs offered by ORM, call our Learning Resources Center at (727) 319-1232.

ORM Ombudsman

ORM Ombudsman is available to employees or applicants for employment adversely affected by an ORM action, policy, or workplace issue. Other VA employees or applicants may use ORM's Ombudsman, as determined by the DAS/RM. For additional information, please use this link.

Organizational Climate Assessment Program

To retain committed and engaged employees, organizations must understand what matters most to their employees.  People who are satisfied with their work environment tend to be more motivated, creative, and productive.  ORM offers the Organizational Climate Assessment Program (OCAP) to VA organizations. The primary goal is to help VA manager’s measure employee’s satisfaction in the workplace.

OCAP helps in the understanding the dynamics of work environments by analyzing data gathered through surveys, focus groups, individual interviews, and reviews of labor and human resources activities.  ORM conducts OCAP workplace assessments at the request of individual VA facilities.  The OCAP assessment involves:

1. Web-Based Climate Survey

• Collects data on employees’ workplace perceptions and perspectives.
• Provides an opportunity for a large number of employees to participate in the assessment of their facility.
• Provide analysis and interpretation through the National Center for Organization Development (NCOD).

2. Focus-Group Sessions

• Ten-to-twelve supervisory and non-supervisory employees per group.
• A trained mediator conducts each group session separately.
• Pre-established open-ended questions are used, plus face-to-face dialogue among employees.
• Confidential – no names attached to employee comments.

3. On-Site Interviews:

• Key Management Officials
• Union Representatives
• EEO Program Managers
• ADR Program Coordinators
• HR Manager (Records Review)

4. Report

• Provides an analysis of data gathered from focus groups, individual interviews, and the Web-Based Survey.
• Identifies facility EEO activity, grievances, and root causes of complaints.

For more information, call the Organizational Climate Assessment Program at (202) 501-2800.

EEO Complaint Root Cause Analysis

Identification of the root causes of complaints is one of the important tools used to help reduce the number of EEO complaints.  In many instances workplace disputes could have been addressed, and possibly resolved, in a more appropriate forum rather than the formal EEO complaint process.  ORM provides facilities with complaint root cause data specific to their organizations to help identify deficiencies and develop interventions designed to address the underlying causes of workplace disputes.  For more information, contact the Office of Policy and Compliance at (202) 501-2680 or 2682.

EEO Complaint Activity Trend Data

ORM produces comparison charts of EEO activity by fiscal year. This activity is   tracked for both informal and formal complaint activity within VA.  These charts reflect a statistical comparison of complaint activity.  They are provided to give local managers complaint activity data for their facilities, enabling them to identify and address out-of-line situations.  For more information on trend data, contact the Office of Quality Assurance at (202) 501-2800 or 2801.