The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation (DRBF), a founder member of the Conflict Avoidance Coalition, provides assistance with the worldwide application of the Dispute Board (DB) method by providing advice and suggestions tailored for the conditions and practices existing in project areas.
DBs originated in the construction industry over 50 years ago at the Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado. Projects were facing an increasing number of disputes due to challenging technical issues and economic pressures. The only methods to resolve those disputes, formal litigation or arbitration, were becoming increasingly costly, time-consuming, and often created adversarial relationships. The industry needed cost-effective and practical solutions, and the DB process was born: a neutral panel of three experts who follow the project from the beginning, address issues and resolve disputes in a relatively informal and cost-effective manner.
The rapid spread of the Dispute Board process worldwide has resulted in the process being used on hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of construction projects, achieving avoidance of numerous disputes and delivering significant savings.
Today, DBs work collaboratively with the project to try and avoid disputes arising in the first place, not just providing an efficient, cost-effective means of resolving any dispute that may arise. They are recognised by the UK Construction Playbook, as: “a potential way to avoid and manage disputes more effectively and, where appropriate, should be engaged with projects from inception to completion.”
The DRBF provides guidance on effective DB implementation tailored for the conditions and practices existing in project areas, as well as training DB practitioners and promoting best practices. Project owners, employers, contractors and other users, are encouraged to read the Dispute Board Manual: A Guide to Best Practices and Procedures , which offers a thorough review of the DB concept. It is written to assist users of the method such as owners, construction managers, architects, engineers, and contractors to employ the process more effectively.