In response to concerns of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) community, the project will develop and validate a Mediation Skills Assessment Program (MAP). The MAP will be comprised of role-play exercises, work samples, structured interviews, and/or other tests shown to be valid predictors of success in mediator jobs. Because MAP will identify individuals who are likely to be talented mediators, MAP should reduce costs associated with poor mediator performance and/or high mediator turnover. The MAP will enable ADR programs to select, develop, and maintain a high quality mediator workforce. The strongest predictor validation programs integrate content, construct, and criterion-related methods. Using a construct and/or content-oriented approach to the development of predictors is good science, even if a criterion-related validation study is planned. This project for the development and validation of MAP emphasizes the development of predictors that have strong content or construct-oriented support. A criterion-related validation study will be undertaken once the predictors are developed. In Phase I, the project will determine whether criterion-related validation is appropriate or feasible, and the type(s) of mediator jobs to be studied in Phase II. The research will yield several products useful to ADR programs: A job analysis questionnaire, a data base of questionnaire data, the Mediation Skills Assessment Program, a client satisfaction survey, and supervisory rating scales. Because there currently are no validated personnel management tools available to the mediation community, any one of these products could be marketed to such organizations.
