Publication:Sea Talk Spring 2008/New centres enhance Navy capability
By Gai Brodtmann
Navy has promised to give everyone a fair go.
And the seven new Fairness and Resolution Centres, officially opened over the past two months will help Navy deliver on this promise.
The centres – in Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin and Brisbane – are staffed by qualified Defence equity coordinators (DECs) and dispute resolution practitioners (DRPs).
DECs primarily provide expert advice and assistance on equity and management of unacceptable behaviour complaints as well as training for equity and diversity. DRPs facilitate dispute resolution options, such as conflict coaching, mediation and workplace conferencing as alternatives to the formal complaint process.
The coordinators and practitioners encourage members to actively engage in resolving issues themselves, rather than pursuing the formal and emotionally costly complaints process. While the grievance option is always open, it’s not the only option.
By encouraging members to resolve their workplace issues locally, quickly and at the lowest level, the centres aim to build conflict management skills as a core competency in Navy.
According to the dispute resolution practitioner for the ACT, Nowra and Wagga Wagga, Canberra-based LCDR Patience Neal, the new centres are focussed on enhancing capability by helping all members of the Defence community – ADF, APS and contractors – to alleviate the corrosive and damaging effects workplace conflict can have.
“The longer conflict is left to fester in the workplace, the more likely it is that those involved may get bogged down in positions of who was right and who was wrong,” she said. “Mostly it isn’t so black-and-white. In fact, we’ve found that many disputes arise from miscommunication or misunderstandings.
“We believe that everyone has the capacity to solve their own problems if they’re given the chance and are supported in doing so. By discussing what has happened, people can generally come to their own mutually satisfactory outcomes and move forward to work well together again. And this is where the Fairness and Resolution Centres can help.”
A mutually agreed outcome is a good outcome, and the talented teams working at the centres are experienced, qualified and skilled enough to deliver such an outcome.
“The DRPs and DECs have been chosen and assessed very carefully, not just for their experience and skills, but their personal qualities,” said the Director, Alternative Resolutions and Equity, Helen Marks. “Our coordinators and practitioners are creative problem solvers and have the capacity to relate to everyone. They are qualified and trained to best manage Navy’s duty of care to its members and provide a valuable service to everyone in Defence.
The Director General Fairness and Resolution, Di Harris, said,establishment of the centres reflects a shift in Defence’s approach to conflict management – from reporting to resolving.
”Fairness is about more than just providing due process,” she said. “Encouraging and assisting people to actively participate in a resolution process themselves is more productive and will almost always deliver a better outcome.
“If Navy is to achieve its goals, strong and cohesive working relationships are essential. Our seven new centres represent a very solid step towards helping Navy to build and maintain these relationships.”
Fairness and Resolution Centre services
Defence equity coordinators and dispute resolution practitioners in the seven centres provide the following services:
- Local and early advice to commanders, managers and staff on how to respond to conflict and unacceptable behaviour in the workplace
- Interactive problem solving to help commanders, managers and staff to think more broadly about an issue and identify the best options or alternatives to resolving it at the lowest level
- A suite of alternative dispute resolution services, such as mediation, conflict coaching and workplace conferencing to resolve or prevent conflict and complaints
- Assistance in delivering the equity and diversity program
- Coordination and support for the equity adviser network.
Further details are available through
