TOOL T-31 | Briefing Document | Module 9: Mediation & Third-Party Intervention

Mediator Briefing Kit

WHEN TO USE When a neutral third-party mediator has been identified and agreed to by all parties.

How to Use It

1. Prepare the brief before the mediator's first contact with any party.

2. Include: project background, the specific conflict, parties (who they are, interests, relationships), prior engagement or resolution attempts, sensitive areas, and structural context.

3. Review the brief with the mediator, do not just send it. Ensure the mediator can ask questions before engaging with parties.

4. Update the brief as the mediation process develops.

Purpose

A structured context brief for a neutral mediator, providing project background, conflict history, party profiles, sensitive areas, and any prior engagement or resolution attempts. A mediator who enters without adequate context is less effective than one who understands the history and dynamics before the first session.

Field Rationale

Mediation in project-community conflicts benefits from context that a generic mediator would not automatically have. The regulatory context, project timeline, community's prior experience with projects, and the specific conflict history all help a mediator design an effective process.