PART I: INTRODUCTION
Session 1
Democratic Decision-Making: An Overview
Assigned Reading:
- Shapiro, The State of Democratic Theory, 10–34
Session 2
Deliberation vs. Dispute Resolution in the Public Sector
Assigned Readings:
- Susskind and Cruikshank, Breaking the Impasse, chapters 1–4
- Susskind, “Arguing, Bargaining and Getting Agreement”
- Susskind, “Consensus Building, Dispute Resolution and Social Justice”
- Forester, “Five Generations of Theory-Practice Tensions”
Session 3
Introduction to Negotiation: Playing the Traditional Game Well
Game #1: Parker v. Gibson + Debriefing
Assigned Reading:
- Lewicki and Litterer, “Strategy and Tactics of Distributive Bargaining.”
- Raiffa, The Art and Science of Negotiation, chapter 2
PART II: NEGOTIATION THEORY
Session 4
Playing the Traditional Game Well (Framing, Anchoring and Managing the Pattern of Concessions)
Scenario #1: Traditional Negotiation Game
Assigned Reading:
- Bazerman and Neale, Negotiating Rationally, 1–64
Session 5
Consensus Building: Introduction to the Mutual Gains Approach (MGA) to Negotiation
Scenario #2: The Consensus Building Approach
Assigned Reading:
- Susskind and Cruikshank, Breaking Robert’s Rules, part 1 (book; please read as much as possible).
- Mutual Gains Approach to Negotiation: A Four Step Process (handout plus laminated card)
- Fisher and Ury, Getting to Yes
Session 6
MGA Continued
Game #2: Bakra Beverage (iDecisionGames) + Debriefing
Session 7
Value Creation and Integrative Bargaining
Assigned Reading:
- Lewicki and Litterer, “Strategy and Tactics of Integrative Bargaining”
Session 8
Multi-Party Negotiation Theory (Conflict Assessment)
Game #3: Three Party Game + Debriefing
Assigned Reading:
- Sebenius, “Sequencing to Build Coalitions”
- Susskind and Crump, introduction to Theory and Practice of Public Dispute Resolution
Session 9
Multi-Party Negotiation Theory continued
Game #4: Harborco (iDecisionGames)
Assigned Reading:
- Raiffa, The Art and Science of Negotiation, 257–274
Session 10
Game #4 Debriefing; Introduction to Facilitation
Scenario #3: Facilitation
Assigned Reading:
- Straus, “Managing Meetings to Build Consensus”
- Schwarz, “Group Facilitation and the Role of the Facilitator” and “What Makes Work Groups Effective”
PART III: FACILITATION
Session 11
Roles and Responsibilities of the Facilitator in a Public Disputes Context
Assigned Reading:
- Thayer-Hart, The Facilitator’s Tool Kit
Session 12
Gender and Negotiation
Scenario #4: Gender and Negotiation
Assigned Reading:
- Bowles, “Psychological Perspectives on Gender in Negotiation”
- OPTIONAL: Tinsley et al., “Women at the Bargaining Table”
- OPTIONAL: Thomas-Hunt and Malkov, “Social Norms and Stereotypes”
Session 13
The Process of Facilitating a Public Meeting
Game #5: Dirty Stuff
Session 14
Game #5 Debriefing
PART IV: MEDIATION
Session 15
Introduction to Mediation
Assigned Reading:
- Susskind and Ozawa, “Mediated Negotiation in the Public Sector”
- Moore, “How Mediation Works”
- OPTIONAL: Nolon, “Second Best Practices?”
Session 16
Roles and Responsibilities of the Mediator
Scenario #5: Roles and Responsibilities of Public Sector Mediators
Assigned Reading:
- Forester and Stitzel, “Beyond Neutrality”
- Susskind and Thomas-Larmer, “Conducting a Conflict Assessment”
- Mayer, Stulberg, Susskind, and Lande, “Panel Discussion—Core Values of Dispute Resolution”
Session 17
Game #6: Hydropower in Santales (iDecisionGames)
Assigned Reading:
- Fisher, “Negotiating Power”
Session 18
Game #6 Debriefing; Roles and Responsibilities of Mediators (and Planners as Mediators)
Session 19
The Ethics of Mediation and Dispute Resolution; Cross-Cultural Applications of Public Dispute Mediation
Scenario #6: A Call to Prayer
Assigned Reading:
- Gensberg, “Mediating Inequality”
- Waldman, “Mediation Ethics,” chapters 6 and 8.
- Avruch, Culture and Conflict Resolution, parts 3–4
Assigned Video (watch before class): Cross-Cultural Negotiation Video
PART V: DISPUTE SYSTEMS DESIGN
Session 20
Introduction to Dispute Systems Design in the Public Sector (Rule-Making, Rate Setting, etc.)
Exercise: Negotiating with a Newtonian
Assigned Reading:
- Rogers, Bordone, et al., Designing Systems and Processes for Managing Disputes, 116–132
- Costantino and Merchant, Designing Conflict Management Systems, chapter 1
- Miller, What Human-Centered Design Can Tell Us About the State of Dispute Systems Design, 1–56
- OPTIONAL: Susskind, Babbitt, and Segal, “When ADR Becomes the Law”
PART VI: VALUE-BASED DISPUTES
Session 21
Introduction to Values-Based Disputes
Game #7: OutFest
Assigned Reading:
- Forester, “Dealing with Deep Value Differences”
- Susskind and Field, Dealing with an Angry Public, 1–14 and 152–197
- Laws, “Representation of Stakeholder Interests”
Session 22
Game #7 Debriefing
PART VII: CONCLUSION
Session 23
Wrap-up Discussion (Incorporating All the Ideas and Techniques Covered in 11.255 into Your Personal Theory of Practice (PTOP))
Session 24
Final Exam
**Note: mindful of the fact that this year’s academic calendars differ significantly between MIT and Harvard, we will allow Harvard students to take the final one week early so grades can be submitted to their registrar by their required end-of-term date.
