Rapid Prevention of Disputes in Public Policy and Planning Process

Abstract

The Rapid Prevention of Disputes in Public Policy and Planning (RaPD-3P) Process produced resolution among a large number of stakeholders over resources conflicts in a short period. Resolutions may take decades due to the costs, asymmetric benefits, interests, information asymmetries, scientific uncertainty, rights, and politics. The RaPD-3P process is a multi-disciplinary approach that deals with the nature of conflict and aspects involved in face-to-face discussion to lessen the time consuming barriers. It has a systematic focus on stakeholder interests, provides an ideal consensus environment, and allows real-time evaluation of alternatives so that all interests are not opposed. The process integrates the aspects of modern science and politics with the interests of stakeholder. This process was tested with real stakeholder for a groundwater district in central Texas and being scaled up for large group of stakeholder in central Texas and for international water issues of the Rio Grande. The research results show that the film aspect of the process is much faster and productive the previous method, both in terms of gathering interest, communication, model building. The groundwater stakeholders all found that the film component of the process was conducive for discussion and emotional tensions found in larger group setting were not present. All the stakeholders agreed that process achieved a high level of understanding of interest.