For over 25 years, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) has assisted public agencies as a neutral forum and state-level resource for accessing quality services, proven programs, and national knowledge-based networks for dispute resolution, consensus-building and public engagement.

In 2013 MOPC was established as the Program Administrator of the Community Mediation Center Grant Program and provides state operational funding to qualified community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The grant program was established to provide a sustainable funding framework for investment in community mediation programming and infrastructure to broaden access to mediation in the state.

After four years as the grant program administrator, MOPC engages HNMCP to conduct a stakeholder assessment and facilitate a joint visioning process. HNMCP’s work will assist MOPC in gaining an overall sense of where state-sponsored community mediation is now, where MOPC and the Centers would like it to be, and how together the organizations can get there in the next five years. From its assessment, HNMCP will design and execute a process to help MOPC consult with and prepare a joint vision with the community mediation centers.

Activities & Deliverables

• Stakeholder assessment;
• Design and delivery of one-day retreat based on the information gathered and HNMCP’s assessment;
• Summary report that includes the process as a visioning model to be used at local community centers.