| For those of us that have been in the Information | | | | the Vendor completing the work (if a vendor is on |
| Technology field for a while, resolving disputes is part | | | | contract). This mediation, although likely not planned |
| of the job. I've been a project manager, project | | | | during the project planning stage, could help both |
| director, and a manager of telecom expense | | | | parties understand any underlying issues that are |
| management (just to name a few positions) and in | | | | causing any schedule delays and could help each side |
| each of these positions I've encountered conflict and | | | | to work better in the future. |
| had the opportunity to resolve several disputes. | | | | As a Telecom Manager I had the opportunity of |
| Part of a Project Manager's job is to resolve issues on | | | | managing a telecom expense management group at |
| a daily basis. These can be as simple as working with | | | | more than one company. During this time I was privy |
| a project team member and a functional manager to | | | | to many of the disputes that telecommunication |
| barter for time needed to complete a task. Or it could | | | | departments, telecom expense management |
| be as complex as working with a project steering | | | | companies, and carriers face. Sometimes the |
| committee to determine if the project timeline should | | | | relationships between the company purchasing the |
| will be delayed. Mediation can be used in either of | | | | services for voice or data and the company providing |
| these two examples. | | | | can be adversarial. This adversarial relationship can be |
| In the first, where a project team member, project | | | | due to unrealistic contract terms, unmet service |
| manager and a function manager are discussing the | | | | delivery metrics, or many other reasons, which can |
| need for hours to complete a task, a project manager | | | | lead to a myriad of disputes. |
| could play the role of the neutral and work with each | | | | There are many potential uses for mediation in the |
| side to understand the differences between what the | | | | telecom space. Mediations can occur between |
| team member is estimating the amount of time | | | | companies and their service providers to resolve |
| needed to complete a task and the amount that the | | | | disputes for missed service levels, contract disputes, |
| function manager is willing to provide. In this case this | | | | credits to be received due to over billing, and the list |
| could be an informal mediation, casually completed. | | | | goes on. Mediations for these situations can be a |
| In the second issue, Steering Committee is deciding if a | | | | formal session enlisting a third party neutral for larger |
| project should be delayed, a formal mediation should | | | | disputes or using in house resources for disputes that |
| probably occur between the Steering Committee and | | | | are smaller and less complex in nature. |