In it’s need to strive and forward, the Office of the Ombudsman sent a group of his staff to participle on a training on “Collaborative Conflict Resolution and Management” in Pretoria, South Africa, from 22 nd February to 12 th March 2010. The training took place in PRO-ACTIVE COLLEGE, where groups exchanged views, ideas and case studies. During the training, the Lecturer gave the general theories about the conflict and its features and techniques of resolution and management of a conflict. This introduction helps participants to understand the causes of conflict and improve their ability to use a range of management styles to resolve conflict amicably.

This training has the following objectives:

• Define conflict and identify the major causes of conflict;
• Assess management role in conflict;
• Describe and use a 5 steps process for resolving conflict;
• Review and practice key communication skills in conflict;
• Create norms and strategies to respond effectively in conflict situations;
• Practical resolution of conflict using management tools.

During the three weeks, the training focalized on the following items:

• General theories of a conflict;
• Its features;
• Techniques of resolution and management.
• For the first item, the lecturer explains that a conflict is a situation in which two or more interdependent people or groups perceive an incompatibility in the needs or interests they seek to achieve. A conflict is caused by the way we react to certain feelings like frustration, disappointment, sadness, etc. Most of the time people believe that they have good reasons for whatever they do. For the second item, the lecturer explains that in general, the conflict show the “where” of conflict (the context in which a conflict erupts), the “why” of conflict (the reason for the conflict), the “what” of conflict (the attitude and action of participants in conflict).

Among the causes of conflict we can state a poorly defined goals, divergent personal values, lack of cooperation or trust and competition of scarce resources.

Every conflict emerges from not being a role model, take credit and no recognition, be judgmental etc. For third item, the lecturer explains that among the techniques of resolution and management of a conflict there are mediation, arbitration, conciliation and negotiation. All these theories are embodied in theory called ADR (Alternative Disputes Resolution).

The lecturer continued to present the differends techniques of resolution and management of conflict (mediation, arbitration, conciliation and negotiation). His said that “mediation” is an intervention of a neutral third part in a conflict resolution and management. For a mediation to be effective, a mediator should be non-judgemental and realistic, but also he/she has to create a safe and structured environment. A mediation is non legal binding process which means when one party refuses the terms of mediation, they are referred to the tribunals. About arbitration, he said that is a legal technique for he resolution of dispute outside the courts. In arbitration, the parties in dispute refer it to one or more persons (arbiters) or (arbitral tribunal) by whose decision they agree to be bound.

It is a settlement technique in which the arbiter reviews the case and imposes a decision that is legally binding for both sides.

About conciliation, the lecturer said that it is a process in which the third party cal....