A request to a state public health service by an anti-abortion group for the names of women having abortions raises more political and social concerns than it does economic concerns. The final contingency factor is charge to mediation. Unlike the previous three contingency factors which focused on the environment of a dispute it emphasizes the needs for mediation. If mediating mechanisms for dispute resolution are to be developed, there must at least be some implicit understanding among the parties as to the expected role of these mechanisms. Promote choices Make choices Implement choices Table 2 provides the design parameters for mediation mechanisms.
Structure refers to the institutional form of the mediation mechanism.
Prototypes for these institutional forms are shown in Table 2. Associated with each of these prototypes is a mandate that identifies its functions in the mediation process. Fairness Balance of power Responsiveness Ability to use a range of intercessory mechanisms Accessibility to all concerned Viability Efficiency Table 3 displays design criteria that can be used to evaluate any proposed mechanism. There is value added through capture, storage, analysis, and dissemination Information disputes sometimes involve issues of intellectual property, but our concerns are larger since there may be no creation in the usual sense and no intent to disseminate. Organizational Consultant is a more general knowledge base system which functions at a more macro level.