Party directed mediation is a mediation approach that seeks to empower each party in a dispute, enabling each party to have more direct influence upon the resolution of a conflict, by offering both means and processes for enhancing the negotiation skills of contenders. The intended prospect of party-directed mediation is to improve upon the ability and willingness of disputants to deal with subsequent differences.

The concept behind party-directed mediation, depending upon the degree to which a case lends itself, is that if and when parties wish to spend the time to acquire the skills necessary to become more effective negotiators, then they can be empowered to achieve a self-directed resolution. The concept is most effective for disputants who wish to have a greater hand in resolving their own conflicts.

Party-directed mediation is of special value where individuals or stakeholders will continue to have ongoing interactions, as well as for conflicts with significant interpersonal aspects. As people become more talented negotiators, through adoption of enhanced negotiation skills, they tend to deal more effectively with conflict.

Essential elements

Two of most salient elements of party directed mediation generally are:

• A pre-caucus or pre-mediation meeting between the mediator and each of the parties prior to the joint session, and
• A 'joint session', where parties face each other and speak directly to each other, rather than through the mediator

In some instances, the pre-caucus may be so effective that parties go on to solve their conflict without a mediator. In fact, most people are able to resolve most of their conflicts without a mediator. There are times, however, when mediators are very much needed.