Coordination, Deconfliction & Escalation

Freeze–Vote–Rebuild assumes distrust and recurring incidents. This chapter defines the coordination machinery that prevents incidents from becoming escalation spirals and ensures disputes are processed through predictable channels.

Objectives

• Prevent accidental clashes through reliable communication.
• Create fast, time-bounded incident handling.
• Reduce “retaliation-by-default” by providing a credible alternative.
• Make responses predictable through a pre-committed escalation ladder.

Core Components

1. Deconfliction Channels (Hotlines)

Minimum requirements:

• 24/7 hotline coverage.
• Named liaison officers on both sides (with alternates).
• Authenticated communications (prevents spoofing).
• Written protocols for what information can be shared.
• Logging of calls and outcomes (for audit).

2. Joint Incident Room (Coordination Cell)

Functions:

• Intake and triage of incidents.
• Dispatch and access coordination for monitors.
• Tracking of unresolved disputes and deadlines.
• Coordination of humanitarian corridors and repair windows.

3. Escalation Ladder (Pre-Committed Responses)

The escalation ladder defines what happens when incidents occur, based on:

• Severity classification (S1–S4).
• Confidence level (C1–C3).
• Recurrence/pattern detection.

The key is pre-commitment: responses are not improvised in the heat of events.

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Incident Handling Workflow (Template)

1. Report Received: From hotline, monitors, sensors, or observers.
2. Immediate Safety Step: Deconfliction call if active risk exists.
3. Triage and Classification: Preliminary severity and confidence assigned.
4. Verification: Site access requested, evidence collected, corroboration obtained.
5. Adjudication: Contested cases go to dispute mechanism with deadlines.
6. Response: Apply ladder consequences (warnings → penalties → pauses/rollbacks).
7. Publication: Report per the data governance policy.

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Escalation Ladder Example (Illustrative)

Level 0: Routine Management

Applies to S1/C2+ or minor incidents:

• Log incident.
• Notify relevant liaison.
• Corrective action request.
• No change in phase status.

Level 1: Formal Warning + Corrective Measures

Applies to S2/C2+ or repeated S1:

• Written warning.
• Mandated corrective measures within deadline.
• Increased monitoring in affected sector.

Level 2: Targeted Consequences / Benefit Pause

Applies to S3/C2+ or repeated S2:

• Temporary pause of specific benefit tier.
• Additional inspections or access requirements.
• Mandated remediation plan.

Level 3: Phase Pause / Rollback Trigger

Applies to S4/C2+ or sustained S3 pattern:

• Pause progression to next phase.
• Rollback of conditional incentives per pre-committed rules.
• Emergency governance council session within fixed timeframe.

Level 4: Termination / Major Enforcement Posture

Applies to systematic high-severity violations or monitor expulsion:

• Suspend framework implementation pending renegotiation.
• Initiate predefined external enforcement pathways (if any exist).

The precise ladder must be agreed and published in advance (except sensitive operational details).

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Dispute Handling Integration

Disputes must be time-bounded:

• Rapid preliminary decisions to prevent escalation.
• Final decisions with published reasoning (privacy-aware).

See:

• Vote Disputes
• Governance Model

Coordination for Corridors and Repairs

The same coordination system should manage:

• Corridor openings/closures.
• Repair windows and worksite access.
• Engineer convoy notifications and protections.

(See Humanitarian Corridors & Protected Infrastructure)

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Drafting Note

When implementing, include:

• A one-page “incident SOP” with contact trees and deadlines.
• A RACI matrix for who can declare an incident, who verifies, and who adjudicates.
• A public-facing summary of escalation levels and consequences (without sensitive details).