Stakeholders can use negotiation roadblocks and challenges to delay projects. Stakeholders, objectors and interveners have to be respectfully managed but company time is often at a premium with few resources to spare to respond to their issues and concerns. Regulators and decision makers increasingly expect organizations to provide opportunities to engage stakeholders in dialogue that demonstrates you are working effectively to identify and resolve their issues.
Case Management & Dispute Resolution Services
Alberta Rules of Court 4.16 Managing Litigation through Dispute Resolution
Find out how Certus can provide your case with a timely and cost effective way to Rule 4.16 compliance. Take control of your dispute resolution by agreement process.
Complete our Referral Form to engage in the Dispute Resolution Design Meeting.
Certus helps clients get ahead and stay ahead of conflict and helps prevent escalation into project resistance and community outrage. Certus designs processes and tools that support interest-based negotiation processes and helps bring together individuals or groups to engage in difficult conversations.
These broad-based participatory processes give stakeholders as much say as possible over aspects of the project that matter most to them and at the same time allow your project to move ahead to meet your project and regulatory timeframes.
Certus designs strategies and processes and builds tools to address interests and resolve issues including facilitated conversations, negotiations, Preliminary Appropriate Dispute Resolution (PADR), Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR), third-party mediations and arbitrations.
Certus helps bring parties to the table. Using the principles of information architecture, Certus creates documents and materials to support difficult conversations and levels the "knowledge" playing field so that all parties are aware of the facts and history.
Certus has successfully designed and implemented Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs for the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB), the British Columbia Oil & Gas Commission (BCOGC) and the National Energy Board (NEB).
Certus has experience in landowner/company disputes, C2C (company-to-company) disputes, environmental impact and reclamation disputes, Aboriginal/First Nation disputes and electrical systems governance and pricing issues.
Issue: Certus was engaged by an Energy Transmission Company to design an Outrage Management Plan and process to resolve local landowner issues after efforts to site and construct a 214 mile (345 km) 230kv international merchant power line between Canada and the United States stalled in the face of stakeholder and community resistance. Certus worked with the NEB and AUC to establish the processes by which the company was able to obtain licenses. The project received regulatory permits in 2009.
Tools and Processes: Workbooks, Facilitated Conversations, Preliminary Appropriate Dispute Resolution (PADR), Project Descriptions, Issues and Concerns Chronologies, Reports and Summaries
Issue: An oil refinery site closed in the 1960's and was subsequently developed into city parks and residential real estate. This development was adjacent to a major river and found to be seriously contaminated with dangerous hydrocarbons. Certus led a year-long mediation process that resulted in a comprehensive reclamation plan that was accepted by the communities involved and both the NEB and ERCB.
Tools and Processes: Mediations and Facilitated Conversations
Issue: Thirteen key associations in the oil and gas industry joined together as the Company-to-Company (C2C) Task Force on Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR). Their goal was to create an industry wide commitment to ADR processes. Certus was recognized as a key leader in the work of the task force and in the creation of the C2C "Let's Talk" state-of-the-art Handbook for the energy sector.
Tools and Processes: Facilitated Conversations and Project Management Services
Issue: A rural community of long standing and well established oil and gas infrastructure and roads within which valuable acreage residences were located, experienced significant pro and anti development positions that threatened community collapse and huge infrastructure costs for industry. Certus designed and led a successful multi-stakeholder mediation process that led to a resolution plan after 40 years of dispute.
Tools and Processes: Community Consultation Events, Facilitated Conversations, Workbooks, Visual Presentations, Summary Reports and Criteria Building Processes for Alternate Options and Locations
