Commercial relationships in every sector carry the risk of disagreement, from late payment and variation claims to termination and employment grievances. How an organisation prepares for and manages these disputes largely determines whether the outcome is a negotiated settlement, a manageable arbitration or an expensive and public court fight.

The Planning and Implementation of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Resolution Training Course treats resolution as a managed process rather than a reaction. Participants start by assessing disputes and selecting an appropriate mechanism, then learn to write enforceable dispute resolution clauses, choose institutional or ad hoc rules and appoint mediators and arbitrators. The central days follow each process in sequence: preparing for and conducting mediation, negotiating settlement terms, commencing an arbitration, managing pleadings, evidence and hearings, and securing and enforcing an award, including recognition under the New York Convention. Attention is also given to costs, confidentiality, ethics and the interplay between court and arbitral jurisdiction.

Each topic is applied to simulated disputes so participants practise advocacy, negotiation and case management. The programme closes with the drafting of a dispute management plan for a real or hypothetical matter.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Compare negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and litigation and choose the right route for a dispute.
• Draft clear, enforceable multi-tier dispute resolution clauses.
• Prepare a case theory, chronology and settlement range before engaging in mediation.
• Conduct and participate in a mediation session, including joint sessions and caucuses.
• Initiate and manage an arbitration under institutional or ad hoc rules.
• Present documentary and witness evidence at an arbitral hearing.
• Explain the grounds for challenging an award and the steps for enforcement.
• Control dispute costs and risk through early case assessment.

The programme is aimed at professionals who prevent, manage or decide disputes, such as:

• Advocates, legal officers and corporate counsel
• Contract and commercial managers
• Procurement and supply chain officers
• Project and construction managers handling claims
• Human resource and labour relations practitioners
• Public officers in state corporations and county governments
• Insurance, banking and real estate professionals
• Engineers and quantity surveyors acting as experts
• NGO and development programme managers with partner disputes

By the close of the course participants take away:

• Model multi-tier clause wording they can adapt for contracts.
• A step-by-step arbitration timetable and procedural checklist.
• A mediation preparation template with settlement option analysis.
• Experience in opening statements, cross-examination and negotiation under time pressure.
• A cost and risk assessment method for deciding whether to settle or proceed.
• A dispute management plan for a live or sample matter.

The programme balances legal frameworks with live practice, using:

• Concise lectures on procedure and rules at each stage
• Simulated mediations and arbitral hearings with feedback from facilitators
• Case files drawn from construction, supply, employment and procurement disputes
• Drafting workshops for clauses, orders and settlement terms
• Group discussion of participants' own current or past matters

Attendance at all sessions together with completed drafting and simulation exercises earns each participant a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion from Vision Reach Global Consultancy.