Evaluation Overview
The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (U.S. Institute) is a federal program established by Congress
in 1998 specifically to assist parties in resolving environmental, natural resource, and public lands conflicts. The U.S.
Institute serves as an impartial, non-partisan institution providing professional expertise, services, and resources to all
parties involved in such disputes, regardless of who initiates or pays for assistance.
The U.S. Institute is firmly committed to evaluating environmental conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving
projects and services. The evaluation system is necessary to (a) measure and report on performance and (b) to facilitate
continual learning and improvement when evaluation feedback is gathered, analyzed, and shared with appropriate audiences.
The evaluation system focuses on seven areas. Specifically, these are:
- Conflict Assessment Services
- ECR and Collaborative Problem Solving Mediation Services
- ECR and Collaborative Problem Solving Facilitation Services
- Training Services
- Facilitated Meeting Services
- Roster Program Services
- Program Support Services
The U.S. Institute has worked in partnership with several state and federal agencies to collaboratively develop the
evaluation system. The sharing of evaluation resources and expertise is advantageous on several fronts: (a) design and
development efforts are not duplicated across agencies; (b) common methods for evaluating collaborative processes are
established; (c) knowledge, expertise and resources are shared, realizing cost-efficiencies for the collaborating agencies;
and (d) learning and improvement on a broader scale will be facilitated through the sharing of comparable multi-agency findings.
Evaluation information is collected from members of the public who are participants in, and users of, these services. Before
such information can be collected by a federal agency, the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) requires approval
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The U.S. Institute's current collection authorization expires on
December 31, 2011. The U.S. Institute is applying for renewal of existing instruments with minor revisions.
The Environmental Protection Agency, Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center (CPRC) received permission from OMB to act as
a named administrator of the U.S. Institute evaluation instruments in 2003. The Department of the Interior, Office of
Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution received similar permissions in 2008. The CPRC, CADR and the U.S. Institute are
hoping to continue this partnership. In addition, the U.S. Institute is requesting permission to add the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Conflict Resolution and Public Participation Center (CPC) as a named administrator. The U.S. Institute is also
requesting OMB permission to administer evaluation instruments periodically on behalf of agencies that either do not have the
internal capacity to administer their own instruments, or are seeking evaluation assistance while in the process of launching
their own internal evaluation systems.
To view the evaluation questionnaires and supporting documentation for the U.S. Institute's pending OMB information collection
request (ICR), please follow the appropriate links below.
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Conflict Assessment Services
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ECR and Collaborative Problem Solving Mediation Services
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ECR and Collaborative Problem Solving Facilitation Services
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Training Services
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Facilitated Meeting Services
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Roster Program Services
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Program Support Services
For further information contact:
Patricia Orr
Director of Policy, Planning and Budget
U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution
130 South Scott Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701
Phone: (520) 901-8548 Email: orr@ecr.gov