Political Mediation as a Function of Change Agents

The Example of Frankfurt Airport

Presentation September 15th, 2010,University Wageningen International

Facilitating Multi-Stakeholder Processes and Social Learning

Agenda

I. Introduction to PresentationII. The Issue: Conflict over Frankfurt Airport

ExtensionIII. Three Stages of the Mediation Process

1998 – Today• Frankfurt Airport Mediation 1998-2000• Regional Dialogue Forum 2000-2008• Forum Airport and Region since 2008

IV. The Mediation Teams And Their FunctionsV. Conclusions?

I. Introduction Christopher Gohl

• 2009: Ph.D. thesis “Procedural Politics: The Example of Organized Dialogues“, Department of Political Theory, Potsdam University, Germany

• 2005-2008: Project leader of Germany’s largest political mediation: Regional Dialogue Forum Airport Frankfurt

• 2005-2010: Senior Consultant of the leading German Public Dialogue Consultancy

I. Background, Main Thesis, & Purpose of Presentation

Background• Outside Neutrals / Intermediaries are usually seen as

either facilitators, mediators, or arbitrators.

Main Thesis• Political Mediation at Frankfurt Airport was

• a function of change agents who • established an organized collaborative dialogue • to effect transformation from conflict to cooperation.

Purpose• To offer one aspect out of many facets of the Frankfurt

Airport Mediation process for reflection and discussion

I. Argument of Presentation

• The main task of the mediation team at the Frankfurt Airport dispute was to transform conflict into cooperation.

• It accomplished such transformation through organizing and stabilizing patterns of collaborative dialogue amidst a culture of conflict.

• Organizing a collaborative dialogue means • influencing the setup of the dialogue.• creating value for everyone on the drawing board, • focusing on problem resolution at the table,

Agenda

I. Introduction to PresentationII. The Issue: Conflict over Frankfurt

Airport ExtensionIII. Three Stages of the Mediation Process

1998 – TodayIV. The Mediation Teams And Their FunctionsV. Conclusions?

II. Frankfurt Airport – Where Globalization Hits Home

• Airport Frankfurt is one of three major European Airport Hubs

• Biggest European Cargo Traffic

• 56 million passengers / year

• 490.000 flights / year =1340 flights / day

• With 70.000 employees, Frankfurt Airport is Germany’s largest employment complex at a single location

• Frankfurt Airport Region: 3,4 million people exposed to airport noise

II. Frankfurt: “Hesse – There is no way around us”

• 19 km2 Space, 83 Aircraft Movements / hour• Three Runways• 2 Terminals • 145 Gates • 246 Positions• 1 AIRail Terminal • 1 AirCargo Railroad Station• 1 Commuter Train Station• 3 Bus Stations

On an average day in 2008:• 146.500 passengers • 74.700 pieces of luggage • 5.600 tons of Freight • 400 Trains

II. Frankfurt Passengers: Top Ten in the World

Passengers 2008 (in Mio)

1. Atlanta 90,0

2. Chicago 69,4

3. London Heathrow 67,1

4. Tokyo Haneda 66,8

5. Paris CDG 60,9

6. Los Angeles 59,5

7. Dallas Ft Worth 57,1

8. Beijing 55,9

9. Frankfurt 53,5

10. Denver 51,2

II. Frankfurt Cargo: Top Ten in The World

Cargo 2008 (in Mio t)

1. Memphis 3,70

2. Hong Kong 3,66

3. Shanghai Pudong 2,60

4. Seoul 2,42

5. Anchorage 2,34

6. Paris CDG 2,28

7. Frankfurt 2,11

8. Tokyo Narita 2,10

9. Louisville 1,97

10. Singapore 1,88

II. Frankfurt Airport and Its Region – 3rd Runway “Startbahn West”

• Extension of Frankfurt Airport: “Startbahn West”: One of the most intense conflicts in Germany

• Project planned in 1962 – legal dispute for decades• Mass demonstrations from 1980 to 1984 – 2 policemen

killed in 1987• new runway opens in 1984• Result: massive loss of trust among population• Difficulty to discuss any further extension plans in public

II. History: Conflict Extension “Startbahn West” 1962-1987

II. History: Conflict Extension “Startbahn West” 1962-1987

II. The Issue: 4th Runway planned - noise effects

II. Building a Runway: Ecological Costs

II. The Issue: Effects of Air Traffic Growth

Aircraft NoiseMeasuring Aircraft Noise?Monitoring Aircraft Noise?Gauging Noise Annoyance?Health Effects?Effect of Airport Noise on Life Quality?Effects on real estate prices?Regional Noise Reduction Planning?Controlling Airport Noise?Passive Reduction of Aircraft Noise?Active Reduction of Aircraft Noise?Night Flight NoiseNight Flight Ban?Legal Requirments of NFB?Practical Requirements of NFB?Ecological EffectsMonitoring Eco-System?Planning Requirements of Monitoring?Social EffectsMonitoring development of communities?Requirements of Social Monitoring?Economic EffectsEconomic benefits?External costs?Risk ManagementCapacity Building RequirementsCooperation with other Airports?Optimization of Airport Operations?

Agenda

I. Introduction to PresentationII. The Issue: Conflict over Frankfurt Airport

ExtensionIII. Three Stages of the Mediation Process

1998 – Today• Frankfurt Airport Mediation 1998-2000• Regional Dialogue Forum 2000-2008• Forum Airport and Region since 2008

IV. The Mediation Teams And Their FunctionsV. Conclusions?

• 1998: Airport addresses need for further growth• To reach approval of the majority of residents a mediation

procedure is launched by the Hessian state government

• 2000: final report of the mediation is adopted by state legislature and state government

• “Mediation-Package” includes five complementary measures:• New capacity through new runway / extension• Capacity Optimization of the existing system• ban on night time flights between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.• Anti-Noise-Pact • 'Regional Forum for Dialogue' (RDF)

III. Process Stage 1: Mediation 1998-2000 and Results

Extension

OptimizationNight Flight Ban

Regional Dialogue Forum

Anti-Noise-Pact

III. Process Stage 2: Regional Dialogue Forum 2000-2008 – Basis, Purpose and Goals

• State Government Decision of June 20th, 2000• 15 pages on Context, Purpose and Goals, Structure,

Finances

• Purpose• Continue, intensify, detail dialogue in a “mediative process”

• Goals• Understanding through Dialogue

Creating setup: structure and process of dialogue • Rationalization through Information and Scientific Research

Committee Work, Joint Fact Finding, Public Dialogue• Counsel for administration in formal planning procedures, and

for politicians Written Advice, public representation of mediation

• Guardian and Modeler of the Mediation Detailing implementation, negotiating Anti-Noise-Pact

• RDF: 34 Member Institutions Forum, 57 meetings

• 5 Project Teams on Issues, over 150 regular participants in 149 meetings

• Dozens of Small Working Groups

• Citizen Office

• Several excursions

III. Process Stage 2: Regional Dialogue Forum

Veranstal-tungen

Gespräche Dialog

Information

Service

LärmmessungLärmvisualisierung

Auskunft

Infowände

Bibliothek Bürger und

Bürgerinnen

Schul-besuche

Veranstal-tungen

Gespräche Dialog

Information

Service

LärmmessungLärmvisualisierung

Auskunft

Infowände

Bibliothek Bürger und

Bürgerinnen

Schul-besuche

III. Process Stage 2: RDF 2000-2008

III. Process Stage 2: Regional Dialogue Forum 2000-2008 – Special Challenges for Process Leadership• RDF as mediative process parallel to formal planning procedure

• Competing logic of legal and administrative procedures• Challenge to bridge formal planning procedure and informal

mediative dialogue

• Highly complex issues with competing regulatory competencies and changing legal framework• Competing institutions• Competing regulation from local to European levels

• Some members working towards failure of RDF, others wary about its perspectives• Failure of RDF = Failure of Mediation Package = Failure of

Extension Plans

• Hot topics for mobilized media and public

• Long term mediation: changes in personal membership

III. Process Stage 2: RDF Joint Fact Finding

20 Expert Hearings from 2000-200715 Scientific Reports from 2000-2007

III. Process Stage 2: RDF Public Dialogue

30 Public Events 2000-2007

III. Process Stage 3: Forum Airport and Region since 2008

• State Government Decision of June 13th, 2008

• Purpose• Continue, intensify, and deepen collaborative dialogue

• Goals• Continue regional dialogue about issues of growing airport:

“Konvent” with more than 60 members• Deepen specialist work: Expert Committee “Active Noise

Reduction”• Information to the general public: “House of the Environment”• Focus collaborative leadership: “Board of Forum”

• representatives from gov’t, communities, Lufthansa, and Airport• led by three chairmen: former RDF chairman, Fraport

Chairman, Mayor

Agenda

I. Introduction to PresentationII. The Issue: Conflict over Frankfurt Airport

ExtensionIII. Three Stages of the Mediation Process

1998 – TodayIV. The Mediation Teams And Their

FunctionsV. Conclusions?

IV. Mediation Teams: Frankfurt Airport Mediation 1998-2000: Between Facilitation and Arbitration• Three representative

“Mediators”• Frank Niethammer, Chamber of

Industry and Commerce, Frankfurt

• Dr. Kurt Oeser, “Environment Pastor”

• Klaus Haensch, Vice-President of the European Parliament

• Counselor and Coach• Dr. Hans-Peter Meister, IFOK

• Scientific Advisors• Öko-Institut / Eco-Institute• Project Leader Dr. Christoph

Ewen

IV. Mediation Teams: RDF 2000-2008A Group of “Change Agents”?

• Chairman of the RDF: Prof. Johann-Dietrich Wörner• President of Darmstadt

University until 2007• President of German

Aerospace Center (DLR) since 2007

• Forum’s Office• 6 persons • Staffed by IFOK consultants• Project Leader Dr. Christoph

Ewen until 2003

• Scientific Advisors• 5 persons• Öko-Institut / Eco-Institute

IV. Mediation Teams: RDF 2000-2008 – Functions of Effecting Transformation

Chairman of the RDF: Prof. Johann-Dietrich Wörner• Political Representation of RDF• Public Voice of RDF• Facilitating Forum Meetings• “Guardian of the Mediation”• Initiating and facilitating

negotiations Anti-Noise-Pact 2006-2008

Scientific Advisors: Eco-Institute• Partnership with Forum’s Office• Structuring Issue-Agenda• Counseling Chairman on Issues• Co-Facilitation of Project Teams• Draft Proposals and Protocols for Joint-Fact-Finding Measures• Identifying Advisors and Consultants• Inventing options in negotiations• Role in informal communication and representation

IV. Mediation Teams: RDF 2000-2008 - Functions

Forum’s Office (IFOK): “Process Provision”• Partnership with Scientific Advisors• Coaching Chairman • Supplying Strategy and Methods of

Organized Collaborative Dialogue• Facilitation of Project Teams• Group Mediation interventions• Organization and Facilitation of JFF• Organizing Public Dialogue

• Staffing Citizen’s Office• Public Events• Newsletters, Internet-Sites

• Public Relations• Project Management and Organization

• Organizing meetings• Comprehensive Documentation of Process• Budgeting

• Role in informal communication and representation

IV. Mediation Team: Forum Airport and Region since 2008 – A Self-Sustaining Dialogue?

Leadership of Board of Forum and Chairmen of Konvent• Chairman Prof. Wörner (former RDF chairman)• Chairman Dr. Schulte (chairman of Fraport)• Chairman Mayor Quilling (Town of Neu-Isenburg)

Chairmen of Expert Committee Active Noise Reduction• Peter Gebauer (Board of German Air Traffic Control)• Mayor Manfred Ockel (Town of Kelsterbach)

Director and Staff of House of the Environment• Director Günther Lanz, formerly with the Hesse Ministry of

Environment• Barbara Banse, formerly Citizen’s Office (IFOK)

Coaching and Scientific Counseling• provisionally: IFOK and Eco-Institute• Currently unresolved – no high profile

Agenda

I. Introduction to PresentationII. The Issue: Conflict over Frankfurt Airport

ExtensionIII. Three Stages of the Mediation Process

1998 – TodayIV. The Mediation Teams And Their FunctionsV. Conclusions?

V. “Political Mediation Extension Frankfurt Airport” 1998-2008: From Conflict to Cooperation?

V. Back To The Main Thesis

Testing Main ThesisPolitical Mediation at Frankfurt Airport was a function ofchange agents who established an organized collaborativedialogue to effect transformation from conflict to cooperation.

Introduction of structures of collaborative dialogue in three stages from initiation to stabilization

Strong challenges require strong and comprehensive process leadership / motor

No clear distinction of functions of Facilitation, Mediation, or Arbitration, plus additional functions among „mediation teams“

Political Mediation as a collective function / effect of work of Chairman Wörner, Forum‘s Office and Scientific Advisors?

V. Evaluating the Argument: Discussion?

• The main task of the mediation team at the Frankfurt Airport dispute was to transform conflict into cooperation.

• It accomplished such transformation through organizing and stabilizing patterns of collaborative dialogue amidst a culture of conflict.

• Organizing a collaborative dialogue means • influencing the setup of the dialogue,• creating value for everyone on the drawing board, • focusing on problem resolution at the table,• in effect: strong and comprehensive process leadership(compare Lax & Sebenius: 3D-Negotiation)