We're experts in the practice of collaborative governance
At the National Policy Consensus Center (NPCC), we build consensus through the practice of collaborative governance. Our programs and innovative research help people collaborate to address public policy disputes and implement community-based solutions.
Our work spans all of Oregon, the United States, and beyond. We've facilitated discussions that helped Oregon and neighboring states agree on shared plans for protecting endangered species. We've helped local Oregon communities agree on highway projects to address congestion in their towns. We've helped small communities find funding to build a new school, improve libraries, and support entrepreneurship. And we've facilitated large-scale policy development and implementation of education and health care reform in Oregon.
How we started
NPCC was established in 2000 to conduct research through on-the-ground testing of consensus-building and collaborative governance. Portland State University (PSU) and the national nonprofit Kitchen Table Democracy (formerly the Policy Consensus Initiative) formed NPCC to help state and local leaders develop innovative collaborative solutions to community problems. Kitchen Table Democracy’s Board of Directors noted that PSU is an ideal home for NPCC due to Oregon leaders’ strong support for collaborative governance, and PSU's commitment to community engagement, as expressed in the university motto, 'Let knowledge serve the city.'
As part of the Hatfield School of Government in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at PSU, we draw on the scholarly resources of the university. We play a key role in fulfilling PSU’s commitment to community engagement, student learning, and applied research.
Our mission
Our mission is to bring a full range of voices together to build on the promises of democracy. Institutional racism and other inequities hinder this aspiration from being realized. We are committed to striving for equity both in our projects and in our organizational culture. We approach this work as learners.
Our work is guided by the following principles
- Joint ownership. Serving as a forum, unaffiliated with any one interest, to build a mutually agreed upon framing of challenges and opportunities.
- Community based. Convening the people most affected by a challenge as the best ones to solve it.
- Inclusive. Increasing access to and ensuring meaningful participation in decision making by those with diverse perspectives to lead to the development of better, durable and more equitable solutions.
- Consensus seeking. Seeking mutually supported solutions that address all interests to the greatest extent possible so solutions are more durable.
- Results oriented. Employing catalytic processes to bring people together to take collective action on things that matter.
- Authentic dialogue. Creating honest conversation to foster mutual understanding as a critical foundation for success in working toward solutions.
- Leaders as conveners. Engaging leaders to use their unique role to bring people together to solve public issues.
We work on a wide range of public issues, including: