TPN 2 - Developing Facilitation Skills for Groups in Conflict  

Building on TPN 1 as a prerequisite, this module provides intensive training on facilitating groups in conflict and preventing groups from escalating conflict into something non-productive. Key tasks of a facilitator and core skills are taught and practiced. They include such things as creating and effectively using a process agenda, creating and enforcing ground rules, techniques for including all participants, techniques for capturing the ideas of participants and skills for keeping to the process and within the allotted time and dealing with difficult behaviors. Processes are taught and practiced that help groups make decisions, reach consensus, explore controversial topics, and envision a more ideal community/workplace. Dialogue/circle processes are presented along with creativity as a tool to help groups find solutions to their conflicts. Participants also practice designing a facilitated intervention of a real conflict.

(Pre-requisite TPN 1)                                                              Schedule and fees

TPN 3 - Developing Mediation Skills   

Building on the mediation introduction in TPN1, this course goes deeper into a community-based approach to mediation, guided by CICR’s core principles.  The mediation process is explored at a greater level of detail, through key mediator skills such as conflict analysis, facilitating dialogue, reframing and questioning, maintaining fairness and equity, managing emotions, and stimulating creativity.  Participants build skills through a series of role plays, while addressing themes such as power imbalance and cultural differences.  Practice is enriched by segments on collaboration and negotiation, conflict resolution approaches, process selection, and understanding motivation.  Sample mediation  agreements, ethical standards, and affiliations for mediators are also presented.

(Pre-requisite TPN 1)                                                             Schedule and fees

TPN 4 - Principles, Practice and Reflections

This is the final course in the pursuit of a 160 hour certificate. The course provides a review of the key principles, processes and techniques acquired in the first 3 modules. It also goes deeper into multi-party conflicts and negotiations, co-mediation, conflict styles, human identity needs, and process designs for conflict interventions. Outside experts are also drawn in to share their field experiences working as a third party neutral.

(Pre-requisite TPN 1, TPN 2, and TPN 3)                        Schedule and fees

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Graduates of the 160 hour Third Party Neutral Program have applied their skills in many different ways. Some graduates have gone on to careers in mediation, facilitation and conflict management, either as part of their own consulting practice or working for others. This includes many graduates who have taken positions as internal mediators and conflict management specialists in their own workplace, especially in the federal civil service, and others who are working for international aid agencies. For others, the goal has been to use this training as a life-skill that helps them to be better conflict resolvers in their family, social, volunteer and work lives.

Overall these modules provide participants with the skills to guide a process by which parties in conflict identify the underlying cause of conflict and, thereby, begin to develop solutions. As part of their training, Third Party Neutrals learn:

• to remain objective and not take on the burden of conflict;

• to listen and not be judgmental or reactive;

• to be flexible and change their roles as the conflict resolution process evolves;

• to use conciliation, negotiation techniques, mediation, facilitation, dialogue and other group; processes to assist conflicting parties in finding mutually acceptable solutions to their problems.

TPN is principle-driven, skills-based, experiential training that allows participants to develop the good judgment and sense of timing needed to move the conflict resolution process along.

The Third Party Neutral Program is divided into four 40-hour (5 days) modules.  Participants receive a 40 hour certificate for completing each module and a 160 hour Third Party Neutral Program Certificate for completing all four modules.