Goal Directed Conflict Resolution and Policy Refinement

Abstract. A policy (or norm) is a guideline stating what is allowed, what is forbidden and what is obligated for an entity, in a certain situa-tion, so that an acceptable outcome is achieved. Policies occur in many types of scenarios, whether they are loose social networks of individuals or highly structured institutions. It is important for policies to be consis-tent and to support the goals of an organisation. This requires a thorough understanding of the implications of introducing specific policies and how they interact. It is difficult, even for experts, to write consistent, unam-biguous and accurate policies, and conflicts are practically unavoidable. In this paper we address the challenge of providing automated support for identifying and resolving logical and functional conflicts. We present a model of conflict identification and resolution that focuses attention on conflicts that are most critical to the goals of the organisation