ID: 2059
Presenting Author: Scott Adams
Session: 570 - Ending the expert battle: tools for addressing complex technical issues
Status: pending
Interactive session with experts from the European Investment Bank, Inclusive Development International, State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, and the World Bank.
Disputes over expert findings are common in grievance processes, especially when stakeholders question the legitimacy or independence of findings, including impact assessments. In the context of growing misinformation and disinformation, this challenge is even more acute. This session will therefore tackle a central question: how to reduce conflict and build legitimacy around expert findings with communities, governments, and private sector? It aims to explore how ESG and accountability professionals can move beyond adversarial “expert battles” and foster more trusted, inclusive approaches to fact-finding.
Co-chaired by the independent accountability mechanisms of the European Investment Bank and World Bank, the session will include specific case studies and invite discussion on practical tools and approaches that build legitimacy in contested settings.
The session will also cover joint fact-finding—a collaborative method long used in dispute resolution that engages stakeholders in shaping the scope, selection, and interpretation of expert input. Often misunderstood as just another expert report, joint fact-finding builds trust by co-producing knowledge, bridging divides between technical experts and affected communities, and countering misinformation through transparent, inclusive processes.
Rather than prescribing a single solution, the session invites participants to reflect on their own experiences and explore which tools or combinations might work best in different contexts.
Scott is a seasoned mediator and dispute resolution expert. His experience includes the non-profit sector, government, energy, health care, transportation, and natural resources.