Shaping Our World Together

The Institute for Engagement & Negotiation (IEN) is a nationally recognized leader in fostering collaborative change across a broad range of environmental, social and economic issues. Founded in 1980, IEN is staffed by a team of facilitators and mediators that assists organizations, agencies, industry, and communities in making bold, sustainable decisions. Our work spans four areas: sustainable environment; resilient communities; health, food and social equity; and building capacity through training and leadership.

History

In 1977 Allied Chemical Corporation was fined $13.2 million for polluting the James River with the pesticide Kepone. This was the largest water pollution fine ever imposed at the time. By court order a portion of the fine ($8 million) was used to fund the creation of the Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE).

Gerald McCarthy, executive director of the new VEE, was interested in testing the idea of “environmental negotiation” in Virginia.  He invited Rich Collins, Chairman of the Urban and Environmental Planning Department at the University of Virginia, to submit a proposal. The Institute for Environmental Negotiation was founded in 1980, with financial support from the Virginia Environmental Endowment. 

Over the years, IEN gained international recognition as a leading environmental and public policy dispute resolution organization and has participated in upwards of 600 projects of varying lengths and complexity. Like most organizations that seek to stay relevant, over the course of four decades the nature of IEN's work evolved to reflect changing conditions and understanding. IEN's focus expanded beyond environmental sustainability to more intentionally encompass environmental, economic and social resilience. Our work also reflects a new understanding and commitment to bringing social equity to the decision-making table, not only with our external clients but also in our own backyard of the University. Rebranded in 2019 as the Institute for Engagement & Negotiation, the new name reflects our commitment to environmental, economic and social resilience through a focus on equity.

Mission & Vision

Our Vision: We envision just, resilient, and healthy communities. 

Our Mission: We facilitate shared solutions through equitable collaboration, research, and training. 

What Is Equitable Collaboration?

IEN staff have designed and conducted customized collaborative community engagement processes for decades, and while we draw on a range of planning tools, IEN is particularly guided by the framework shown below named “Equitable Collaboration.” This framework is composed of six principles that IEN developed over a period of five years, in consultation with our peers and a national advisory team. These principles ensure that Equitable Collaboration is: 

Trauma-informed

Trauma-informed engagement acknowledges and prepares for the potential trauma that collaborative processes evoke in many individuals and groups.

Inclusive

If learning and growth is to be enduring, it has to reach all segments of a community.

Responsive

A responsive process takes the contributions of participants seriously and responds promptly to ideas and concerns raised by those participants.

Truth-seeking

Many community histories can be painful to hear and understand, but healing and legitimacy for actions cannot be accomplished without honesty.

Truth-seeking

Many community histories can be painful to hear and understand, but healing and legitimacy for actions cannot be accomplished without honesty.

Adaptive

Each institution or community needs to develop the appropriate goals and process for their particular space or spaces, as well as to adapt to changing circumstances throughout the process.

Our Contributions to UVA

Student mentoring and training – nine-month and summer internships allow graduate and undergraduate students to work on a variety of topical, real world urban and environmental planning issues, often taking on substantial responsibilities of facilitation, planning, and project management.

Other learning opportunities – IEN faculty have been teaching since IEN’s inception in 1980, and recent years have seen an increase in offerings of professional development opportunities that reflect cutting-edge topics and concerns in designing and facilitating equitable collaboration, community engagement, conflict management and negotiation as well as best practices for tribal consultation and working with tribes.  

Student recruitment – In a survey of graduate urban and environmental planning students, 25% described the opportunity to work with IEN as their most compelling reason for selecting the University of Virginia.

University visibility – IEN brings significant credit to the University as a whole.  Much of IEN’s service involves senior elected and appointed officials (e.g., Governor’s Natural Resources Leadership Summit, Tobacco Communities Project, Shenandoah Valley Waste Solutions Forum, Chesapeake Bay Roundtable, and many others).  IEN-led projects enhance the University’s public service leadership in environmental decision-making, providing University faculty opportunities for research and practical applications.