Both demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with the conflict resolution program or system overall and with specific aspects of each. As expected, however, the evaluations did not show great successes alone. They also showed that each organization faced challenges in helping its system reach all of its goals. There were places where the programs had not been implemented as intended, where third parties digressed from the standards they had been given and where program awareness lagged behind the ideal. And that is exactly the point.
Evaluation serves two purposes.
First, it provides leaders and the organization as a whole with information as to what is working in the conflict resolution system so that they can feel recognize and appreciate their successes and the program's economic value to the company and defend the programs against skeptics. But equally importantly, a good, critical assessment gives organizations a way to recognize the shortfalls in their systems and work constantly to improve them. Serious evaluation has been in short supply in the conflict resolution field. Summarized by Deborah Landen and Maxine Hess Judy Mares-Dixon, CDR Associates, presented a number of insights on the future of dispute systems design based on 21 years of experience in the field. Judy believes that companies will be looking for ways to resolve disputes regardless of geographic limitations.