Summary of

Disputes Yield When 'Ripe.'

By the Public Disputes Network

This Article Summary written by: Mariya Yevsyukova, Conflict Research Consortium

Citation: "Disputes Yield When 'Ripe.'Consensus." Published by the Public Disputes Network. November 1988. No.1. P. 5.

According to the evaluation of three cases of mediation of conflicts between electric utilities, regulatory agencies, and environmental and consumer groups in New Mexico, Colorado and Massachusetts by Technical Development Corporation (TDC), "ripeness" of a dispute plays a major role in successful conflict resolution. Dispute is ripe when (1) the parties come to the realization that potential gains from negotiation are greater than those from other alternatives; (2) the position of regulatory authority toward negotiation and the way it will treat potential agreement in its decision making should be clear from the beginning; and (3) parties should be certain that all necessary resources (time, personnel, and money) will be provided for negotiation.