Mediation and Consensus Building
Mediation is a process in which a trained neutral person, a mediator, helps people in a dispute to communicate with one another, understand each other, and if possible, reach agreements that satisfy the participants' needs.
Consensus building is a process in which a neutral person brings stakeholder groups and individuals together and facilitates their efforts to solve common problems or address a complex issue in a way that best meets the participants' needs.
Source: The Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office
Mediation and consensus building are very similar. The main difference is that mediation is used once a dispute has flared up, whereas consensus building seeks to prevent a dispute arising in the first place. This web site often refers to "mediation" as shorthand for "mediation and consensus building".
Mediation helps people to find common ground and reach agreement when direct communication has broken down and consensus seems impossible. Independent mediators avoid taking sides, making judgments or giving guidance. The parties, and not the mediator, decide the terms of settlement. This makes mediation different from processes like advocacy, counselling, arbitration, and advice giving.
In Scotland, planning decisions are taken by local authorities or by officers acting on their behalf. Appeals and some other important decisions are the responsibility of the Scottish Ministers. Mediation does not alter this. However, it is a way of presenting the decision makers with an easier and better choice.