The Civil Enforcement and Regulatory Section (CERS), one of four sections of the Interagency ADR Working Group (IADRWG), was initially conceived to educate and assist management and staff of federal member agencies in using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in civil enforcement disputes. The mandate of the section was soon expanded, however, to include regulatory and compliance conflicts in such areas as agency environmental, business, and transactional disputes. Since that time, CERS has consistently reached out to member agencies to encourage and expand the use of ADR in civil enforcement and regulatory cases, recognizing that ADR provides options for quick, low cost, and durable resolution of disputes, with long lasting benefits of improved relationships and enhanced trust in the federal government.

CERS provides a variety of services for management and staff of federal agencies involved in enforcement, compliance, and regulatory activities, including:

• Training in the effective use of ADR;
• Providing guidance for ADR program development;
• Disseminating information about government experiences with ADR;
• Providing tools to evaluate when – and whether – to use ADR;
• Disseminating proven approaches for addressing barriers to ADR; and
• Offering a “Consultation Team” to provide personalized assistance to agencies interested in developing and implementing an ADR program.

Section Chair:

Deborah Osborne
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 1st Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20426
Deborah.Osborne@ferc.gov

ADR Success Stories

• Washington Navy Ship Yard Mediation  (PDF)
• NIBCO Administrative Hearing Avoided Using Mediation  |  PDF
• ADR Neutrals Aid Settlement of Pfizer Penalties Case  |  PDF