Mind Map of The Colorado River – The Sharing of Water Crisis: Multiparty Negotiations
This mind map assignment measures your mastery of ULOs 2.7, 2.8, and 2.9.
What is a Mind Map? A mind map is a visual technique used to organize information and processes. It begins with a central starting point (Main Idea) and branches out, resembling a modified spider web.
You have been hired because of your mosaic negotiation skills to mind map and display the configuration of the central main idea of the Colorado River Water Sharing Crisis, along with all the multiple parties involved in the negotiations and their supporting content.
The intent of the mind map is to display a comprehensive overview of the entire negotiation process, outline the challenges involved, the complexities of the issue, and the connections-links that allow effective negotiation and decision-making in a real-world situation.
Requirement:
- Research the Colorado River Water Sharing Crisis using the articles provided in this unit. You may also choose to do further research beyond these articles.
- Create a mind map of the Colorado River Water Sharing Crisis and Negotiations using items A-Q below.
- You must add a small amount of content to each area on the actual map. For example, you might provide the states who are involved and list their positions.
- Written content giving more of a description about each area from the map should be no less than 75 words for each section (A-Q) and placed on a separate document. You are required to only choose 8 of the 17 a-q items.
- You are encouraged to brainstorm further and include more content as necessary.
Mind Map Required Content:
a. States involved (Upper Basin, Lower Basin)
b. Allocation requirements of the water
c. Positions and target requirements for each party
d. Other outside parties involved (Native American tribes, water agencies, governors, environmentalists, scientists, number of people relying on the water, The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)
e. Outside pressures (Residents, farmers, city leaders, Native American tribes, politicians, news media, outside audiences, constituents)
f. Intangibles
g. Mindsets of parties (Bias, state, local, outside audiences, etc.)
h. Conflicts with audiences (causes, perceptions, responses)
i. Impact of conflict and irrational decision-making
j. State interests, positions
k. Problems and Issues (individual states, outside parties)
l. Trust, relationships, integrity
m. Laws, regulations, “The Law of the River”
n. Lake Mead and Lake Powell reservoirs
o. Challenges involved in the multi-party negotiation
p. Flood control and irrigation
q. Drought contingency plans
Possible branches to add onto the a-q items from above:
Governments and Water Authorities, Native American Tribes involved in each state, Dealing with conflict, Ideology, Stakeholders, Bargaining power, Relationship, Trust, Transparency, Planning, Ability to Change, Politics, Protocol, Group versus Individual, Emotionalism, Constituents, Outside audiences, Shared values, Tightness-looseness of behaviors and actions, States involved (upper-lower basis), positions of each state, Current agreements, tactics, goals, benefits, strategy, purpose, conflict, resolution.
