Avoiding disputes should be top of most agendas; unfortunately more energy is put into resolving them rather than stopping them happen in the first place. Careful planning in advance can save organisations a lot of heartache and money. Ensuring contracts and commercial arrangements are in good order before commencing work with others is a crucial but often overlooked step. A mediator can be deployed at the outset of a contract either as part of the negotiation or as someone familiar with the deal deployed during the contact term. In this way disputes can be avoided early or negated altogether. Suitable confidentiality, neutrality and mediation process mechanisms allow the parties to maintain their independent business requirements. The complementary skills available through colleagues at the Dispute Resolution Partnership add further breadth to this area:

The DRP