Dispute Review Board
Dispute Resolution Boards (DRBs) engage impartial and independent subject matter experts at the beginning of a project to follow construction progress, help the parties avoid disputes, and make recommendations to assist in resolving disputes when they arise.
The Dispute Review Board Foundation is a tremendous resource for those interested in the uses and benefits of dispute review boards generally.
Variants on the Dispute Review Board theme include Dispute Adjudication Board (DABs) and "Combined Dispute Boards" (CDBs), similarly constituted but able to make interim binding decisions.
Duncan Glaholt is a sought after and active chair of Dispute Review Boards on infrastructure projects.
Referee
It occasionally happens that emergency relief is needed before an entire arbitration or mediation can be organized.
In such circumstances the parties can empower a "Referee" to give guidance, or even make interim decisions aimed at getting the parties on a path to project completion.
This Referee procedure is usually thought of as an emergency, temporary arrangement to get the parties to the point that they can conduct a meaningful litigation or arbitration on the merits.
There are readily available (and excellent) Referee procedural rules from institutional arbitration organizations, such as the International Chamber of Commerce and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.