Process Design: Pathways Towards Deliberative Dialogue to Transform Conflict

Cover image: Original art work by the author

This paper offers a framework of principles and practices to create deliberative dialogue and collaborative decision-making processes in polarized and conflict-affected contexts. It argues that addressing such challenges involves not only technical issues but also addressing the relational, cultural, political and structural dynamics that sustain conflict. It outlines the ‘upstream’ phases in convening a legitimate and inclusive basis for a process based on consultative assessment. It then provides as developmental arc of process methods to enable the distinctive functions of dialogue, deliberation, and collaborative decision-making through consensus building. When grounded in co-creation and attention to power, such processes can shift entrenched patterns and support more sustainable and legitimate change. The paper outlines key principles for designing inclusive and adaptive processes that foster trust, mutual understanding, and shared ownership.

This work was supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation.