Shared decision making is an essential element in all Head Start programs and must be consistently practiced. Because shared decision making is the basis of Program Governance and requires ongoing work and commitment, it is important that all staff and parents, the governing body, and the Policy Council/Committee (policy group) understand its importance and function.

In the Program Performance Standards, Program Governance (1304.50) is the first part of the Program Design and Management section. The Program Governance structure exists in a Head Start program to support the delivery of quality services to children and families and to support the meaningful role of parents in shared decision making.

The governing body and the policy group, working with management staff, are responsible for program planning and development; they also provide guidance and oversight during implementation. Many opportunities to discuss issues arise during joint training, regularly scheduled business meetings, and frequent committee meetings. When ideas are exchanged, people don't always agree. In fact, conflicts can arise that seem insurmountable. For these times, it is important to have dispute resolution procedures in place.

Performance Standard 1304.50(h): Internal Dispute Resolution.

Each grantee and delegate agency and Policy Council or Policy Committee jointly must establish written procedures for resolving internal disputes, including impasse procedures, between the governing body and policy group.

Guidance: The governing body and relevant policy group of each grantee or delegate agency have the responsibility for writing and following their own procedures for resolving internal disputes. It is important to develop and formally adopt these procedures on a proactive basis. Therefore, agencies should:

• Consider using community resources to assist in developing resolution procedures and in resolving disputes;
• Set procedures for seeking outside assistance from community-based organizations for the negotiation, mediation, or arbitration of disputes that threaten to disrupt services to children and families; and
• Ensure that new policy group members are made aware of the process.

Some examples of when written dispute resolution procedures may be needed:

• The Policy Council voted to approve the hiring of Head Start Director A. The governing body voted to approve the hiring of Head Start Director B.
• The management staff has proposed changing a portion of the home-based option of the program to center-based. The policy group approved this recommendation. The governing body disapproved it.
• The grantee's management staff proposed delegating a portion of the program to another agency in the community to expand service area coverage. The Policy Council rejected this recommendation. The governing body approved it.
• The governing body has proposed a new policy group composition and procedures for electing the parent representatives and selecting the community representatives. The current policy group does not agree.
• The governing body and the policy group reviewed the previous procedures for implementing shared decision making. The policy group requested additional responsibilities for itself. The governing body does not agree.
• The governing body and the policy group reviewed the personnel manual used for staff in all of the agency's programs. The policy group recommended several additions for Head Start staff. The governing body wants all staff to be under the exact same manual.

Your program's written internal dispute resolution procedures should be reviewed and discussed annually by the governing body and the Policy Council/Committee. If there is no written procedure currently in place, the governing body and the relevant policy group are required to develop one. Using community resources, or even an outside consultant with expertise in this area, to facilitate the development is possible. Always remember that open dialogue during the process will help ensure that all involved parties feel responsible for the successful development of internal dispute resolution procedures. When the governing body and Policy Council/Committee jointly develop a resolution process, it often lessens the likelihood of ever needing to put the procedure in motion. The more opportunities that the governing body and the policy group have to interact and share ideas and a common vision, the less likelihood that there will be disagreement on final decisions affecting the program. When there is an issue where the two groups disagree, it can be much easier to resolve if they are familiar with each other.

Ongoing training is required for policy groups. Including governing body members whenever possible is another strategy to help the two groups communicate. Is your program using the video-based training package Linking Our Voices, and the training guide Fostering Program Governance as baseline training? Contact your Quality Improvement Center (QIC) for additional resources and ideas from other programs on what and how to develop an internal dispute resolution procedure.

Remember that ongoing, open communication among all parties with an interest in creating a successful Head Start program is an essential ingredient for providing quality services to all children and families!

Frankie Hoover Gibson is a Parent Involvement Specialist in the Head Start Bureau's Family and Community Partner-ships Branch and the Federal Project Officer for the Moving Ahead leadership training program; T: 202-205-8399; E: fgibson@acf.dhhs.gov.