| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Conflict Management |
| Unit ID: | GCSCS6004 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 090599 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
Conflict management and mediation have gained increased importance in the past three decades due to congestion in the Courts and Tribunals, delays in litigation and rising legal costs. In Australia, since the mid-1990’s government policies at both the state and federal level have endorsed and actively encouraged the use of mediation and other conciliatory approaches to conflict management in preference to litigation. Furthermore, in March 2016, the Royal Commission into Family Violence (Royal Commission) handed down its report with 227 recommendations to combat family violence in Victoria. The Victorian Government committed to implementing all 227 recommendations. Recommendation 209 of the Royal Commission requires family violence practitioners to hold a social work or equivalent degree. The intent is for a minimum qualification threshold that will ensure that all new specialist family violence practitioners have a consistent baseline of knowledge, skills and competencies. This unit addresses these expectations by familiarizing students with theories, concepts and skills for managing conflict and resolving disputes. Students will engage in class discussions, role-plays, experiential learning as well as reading and independent research. In class there will be opportunities for discussion and skill development in conflict management and mediation. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | |  | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Identify ethical issues that can arise when working with victim survivors and perpetrators of family violence including recognising and managing personal values, prejudices, discrimination and biases, and understanding how they can affect inclusive service provision. |
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| K2. | Develop understanding of the social, political, legal, historical, cultural and organisational contexts/systems impacts on people and communities; human behaviour and development; and life cycle stages in a family violence context (EP3). |
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| K3. | Demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge and principles of self-determination and cultural safety in professional practice, informed by an understanding of Aboriginal culture and the injustices experienced by Aboriginal people due to colonisation, and the impact this has on service experience (EP4). |
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| K4. | Analyse values, ideologies and discourses that underpin professional practice in conflict management and mediation work. |
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| K5. | Recognise the value of evidence-based domestic and international research to practice (EP6). |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Identify and apply theoretical frameworks and practice models to case scenarios and role plays using advanced, independent research skills. |
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| S2. | Demonstrate the development of critical skills for practice through written and oral assessments. |
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| S3. | Develop self-knowledge through critical reflection of personal and professional values that underpin conflict management and mediation. |
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| S4. | Analyse and evaluate knowledge and information to inform practice approaches (EP7). |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Apply knowledge of theoretical frameworks and practice models to a range of conflict situations and social issues. |
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| A2. | Develop critical skills for practice by integrating knowledge of practice models to case studies based on social issues. |
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| A3. | Apply critical and reflective thinking to practice, to examine the power dynamics between client-practitioner and victim survivor-perpetrator (EP2). |
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| A4. | Demonstrate the ability to transmit knowledge and skills to others, and to engage in a respectful, professional and culturally safe manner that builds rapport and trust with victim-survivors to work towards recovery and healing, using a trauma-informed approach that demonstrates belief, respect, and valuing of knowledge, culture and lived experience (EP5). |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics may include: Conflict theory Communication, difficult behaviours WIN/WIN and power Arbitration, negotiation and mediation Attitudes and values Listening and assertiveness Empathy and Emotions Reframing Problem defining and problem solving Conflict mapping, interests analysis and selecting options Agreement preparation, review and evaluation Ethics and standards |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3, A4 | Examination questions have been designed to assess all learning outcomes. | Take home exam | 40-60% | | 2. | K1, K2, K4, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3 | A written review of a mediation or conciliation event (real or simulated) with critical reflection on practitioner skills. | Role-play reflection | 40-60% |
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