For well over ten years, the North Dakota Association of Counties (NDACo) has relied without hesitation on the services of the Consensus Council, Inc. (CC) to provide all phases of the work it does—consensus building, conflict resolution and strategic planning.

NDACo employees, management, Board members and affiliated organizations have been involved in multiple strategic planning sessions, each one strengthening NDACo and its internal and external ties. During the time we have been engaged in continuous strategic planning with CC staff, NDACo has grown significantly while employing strong association management principles from a small staff in rented office space to a current staff of 36 in a significant building of its own, from which it also derives income by renting space.

During that same period of time, we have worked with CC staff and emergency management and law enforcement throughout North Dakota to begin a statewide movement to Next Generation 911. Because of that work, we believe we have the potential to be one of the first states in the country or part of the first region in the country to successfully implement statewide or region wide NG 911.

With the CC, we have brought together legislators, county leaders and state and county agencies to help enhance what was a messy and inequitable child support enforcement process throughout the state. One meeting facilitated by CC staff resulted in legislation already in effect that has had a dramatic impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of child support enforcement throughout the state.

We know that when we need assistance to help build consensus within our organization and with other organizations we can turn to the CC for help, and it is always there.