UMass Boston

MOPC has been supporting conflict resolution experts and graduate researchers at UMass Boston in developing a comprehensive analysis of hate crimes in the U.S. This report is a joint publication of the Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development (CPDD) through its Conflict Early Warning arm, the Conflict Early Warning Analytics Program (CEWAP) and the TRUST Network (TN), which is the first conflict early warning system in the United States. The report focuses on hate crimes, hate groups and their connection to domestic extremism, and the threats posed by these crimes and groups to social cohesion. The hate crimes report was published in December 2023 and is available here: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/cpdd_pubs/7/

In 2020 and spanning over three years of systematically engaging, documenting, and analyzing the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state-funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts, MOPC was able to compile its findings in a research report based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community-based participatory research conducted through a series of community listening sessions organized and facilitated by seven MA Community Mediation Centers from 2021 to 2022 involving residents from Cambridge, Framingham, Lowell, Lynn, Vineyard Haven, Greenfield, and Leominster in Massachusetts. The study was published in August 2023, which is available here:  https://scholarworks.umb.edu/mopc_pubs/35/ 

MOPC's research unit, assisted by graduate students, conducted program evaluation and research on the impact of housing mediation on housing stabilization in MA, which involved surveys and interviews with mediation participants, mediators, state agencies, and mediation case coordinators and data collection through a uniform database. The focus of this work was on housing mediation delivered through the program MOPC launched in FY21 with 12 community mediation centers for the Governor’s Eviction Diversion Initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research questions and evaluation metrics were developed in consultation with the Governor’s Office and the Department of Housing & Community Development. MOPC’s evaluation report published in 2021 identified housing mediation as a critical service in ensuring tenancy preservation, preventing homelessness, and improving landlord-tenant communications and relationships. The study is available here:  https://scholarworks.umb.edu/mopc_pubs/31/  

In 2019, the Executive Office of the Trial Court (EOTC) contracted MOPC to conduct research on the current use and effectiveness of court-connected ADR in Massachusetts as well as samples from other states. The research involved undertaking a literature review of existing studies, collecting data on awareness, access, and utilization of court-connected ADR through surveys and interviews of select Massachusetts court personnel and court-approved ADR program representatives, gathering evidence from effective practices and models in Massachusetts and other states on methods to better communicate about ADR programs and formulate strategies for departmental expansion of court-connected ADR with, and without, funding. MOPC completed and published the study in October 2019; the study is available here:  https://scholarworks.umb.edu/mopc_pubs/23/  

MOPC successfully conducted a comprehensive two-year assessment of municipal conflict resolution needs in Massachusetts in collaboration with municipalities and other stakeholders with recommendations to address those needs. To initiate the study, the Senate and House chairs of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government secured a commission for this study in Outside Section 204 of the FY 2015 state budget. MOPC secured a UMass Boston Public Service Grant to fund graduate student research assistants from the McCormack Graduate School. This assessment helped stakeholders identify positive societal outcomes and appropriate solutions strategies to address intractable and destructive municipal conflicts in Massachusetts in collaboration with municipalities and other stakeholders. The Massachusetts Municipal Conflict Resolution Needs Assessment Study Report was released in January 2016 and is available here:  https://scholarworks.umb.edu/mopc_pubs/14/  

In 2011, in Outside Section 180 of the FY 2012 State Budget, the Legislature commissioned MOPC to conduct a study of community mediation’s effectiveness for the purpose of increasing access to dispute resolution for Massachusetts citizens. The commission also directed MOPC to develop a state-of-the-art performance-based funding framework to enable state and other investment in community mediation. MOPC conducted extensive research on the value of community mediation, successful models of state-funded community mediation systems in other states and the experiences and best practices of conflict resolution practitioners and stakeholders in Massachusetts. The resulting report published in November 2012, Legislative Study: A framework to strengthen Massachusetts community mediation as a cost-effective public service, articulated a vision for strengthening the mission and deployment of community mediation throughout Massachusetts. As a result, the Legislature passed G. L. Ch. 75, Section 47 as Outside Section 91 to the FY 2013 State Budget establishing the Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program to be administered by MOPC and setting state policy that recognizes the value of community mediation and directs public agencies to use community mediation for their public missions. Over the years, the Legislature has appropriated millions of dollars to fund the grant program which provides state operating grants to centers that meet state performance-based standards for community mediation. This report is available here:  https://scholarworks.umb.edu/mopc_pubs/1/