Past Research

The Center conducts a wide range of research projects with a variety of state and federal partners.  The Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO), the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Maryland State Highway Administration, Transportation security Administration, and the State of California have provided grants and contracts to conduct applied research, by evaluating and assessing court-based and workplace alternative dispute resolution programs and processes.

We have conducted a wide array of studies on issues such as:

Maryland SHA Partnering: An Analysis of the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration’s Partnering Program and Process (PDF Download)
 

Maryland State Highway Administration Partnering Training Evaluation Research Report (PDF Download)

 

Maryland SHA Construction Partnering: A Management Best practices Model (PDF Download)

 

Civil Non Family Attorney Perceptions on the Use of ADR in their Legal Practice. A MACRO funded survey research project. (Brian Polkinghorn, Ruth Obar)

 

An Analysis of Judicial Referrals to ADR in the District Court of Maryland. A MACRO funded logit regression research project. (Brian Polkinghorn, Ruth Obar)

 

An Analysis of Judicial Referrals to ADR in the District Court of Maryland” Prepared for Chief Judge Bell. (Brian Polkinghorn, Ruth Obar, Haleigh LaChance and Michal Bilick)

 

Executive Report of the TSA ICMS Program” Transportation Security Administration (Contract No. HSTS-03-08-3-MWP011), Washington D.C.

 

Evaluation of Integrated Conflict Management System (ICMS) at the Transportation Security Administration” (Contract No. HSTS-03-08-3-MWP011), Washington D.C. (Brian Polkinghorn, E. Patrick McDermott, Ruth Obar)

 

Report on the Evaluation of the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration’s Integrated Conflict Management System Employing Regression and Maturity Model Analysis.” Washington, D.C. (Brian Polkinghorn, E. Patrick McDermott, Ruth Obar)

 

An Analysis of the Utility and Perceived Impact of Mediation on Case Management within the City of Baltimore Office of the State’s Attorney: Means of Improving the Flow and Quality of Cases Going to Mediation.” First Report prepared for the Office of State’s Attorneys Baltimore City. (Brian Polkinghorn, Haleigh LaChance, Mark Hopson)

 

Maryland State Highway Administration, Partnering Training Research Evaluation Report. Baltimore: Maryland State Highway Administration. (Brian, Haleigh La Chance and Frank Carr.) Subsequent training manuals:

 

  • Maryland State Highway Administration, Partnering Training Manual
  • Training Manual: Partnering Basic Training
  • Training Manual: Partnering Refresher Training
  • Training Manual: Instructor Lesson Plans
  • Train-the-Trainer
  • Construction Partnering Best Practices Manual.” Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration. (Received a Public Service Award) Published September 2006. (Brian Polkinghorn, Frank Carr, Haleigh LaChance.)

 

An Evaluation of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing Pilot Mediation Program,” contract agreement SA003025. (Best paper prize) (E. Patrick Mc Dermott, Anita Jose, Ruth Obar and Brian Polkinghorn.)

 

The EEOC Mediation Program: Mediators’ Perspective on the Parties, Processes, and Outcomes,” EEOC Order No. 9/0900/7632/G. (E. Patrick Mc Dermott, Anita Jose, Ruth Obar and Brian Polkinghorn)

 

Possibilities for Peace: Opportunities in Preconflict Situations.” A Report to the National Security Commission Honorable Senator Warren Rudman and the Honorable Senator Gary Hart, Chairs. (Scott C. Hammond, Lenard Hawes, Sara Cobb, Brian Polkinghorn)

 

Note: There are several other research projects conducted by the center that are security sensitive relating to programs, projects or process undertaken by foreign nationals or governments that remain confidential.  These research reports are based off of field research conducted in the Middle East, parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.