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Case Studies

Since ENS was established in 1978, it has become the trusted partner of global brands and large corporations. To understand the pivotal role ENS has played in various industries, here are a few stories of how our programs have transformed the way people and organisations view negotiations and the successful outcomes it has helped achieve.

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Resurrecting a monopoly relationship critical to delivering shareholder value

The possibility of a second five-year marketing agreement between the world's largest producer of a certain commodity and a major trading house looked to be destroyed. Our advisers were called in by the producer company to give process advice, check the quality of preparation and to rehearse the team. The second agreement was signed to the benefit of both parties.

Video - Ahold Delhaize: Fact Based Negotiating using scale to improve buying in Europe

A negotiation case study video about using scale to improve buying in Europe.

Restoring Predictability in a World-wide Commodity Agreement

Achieving cultural shift in workplace agreement negotiations.

A client in the energy industry was faced with complex workplace negotiations and impending hostile strike action. ENS was called in to intervene and facilitate peaceful negotiations between the two parties.

Humanising the Process of Hostile EBA Negotiations

A client in the printing industry needed to conduct three separate negotiations quickly to avoid threatened strike action. We helped all sides to focus on relationship aspects and 'humanise' the process. Negotiations were concluded quickly, industrial action was avoided and the level of hostility significantly reduced.

Strategic Response to a Price Increase Demand

A client received a demand for a cost increase of over 20%. ENS trained the negotiating team and developed a negotiating strategy that focused on identifying and managing risks via structured questioning. After the negotiation, costs were reduced by more than 20% without straining the business relationship.

Empowering Key Staff to Become Effective Negotiators

The client was renegotiating an annual supply contract with a large supplier that set a contract price based on faulty assumptions on upward annual price reviews.

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International Negotiation: Cases and Lessons

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International Relations Online / Degrees / Concentrations / International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program Concentration

The International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution concentration prepares  International Relations Online  students to assess, negotiate, and resolve disputes involving transnational issues and peoples from different cultures. In these courses, students will develop the ability to identify the underlying causes and dynamics of conflict and to use professional negotiation skills to resolve disputes.

Sample Learning Outcomes 

Upon completion of this concentration, students will have met a number of learning objectives, including the ability to: 

• Demonstrate an understanding of the cases, practices, successes, and challenges of conflict assessment and prevention.
• Gain a deep understanding of the processes and outcomes of international negotiation.
• Analyze international conflicts and negotiations in order to develop accurate policy recommendations, negotiation strategies, and tactical responses.
• Examine and engage with some of the critical economic, legal, ethical, and political dilemmas that face nation-states and decision makers in the aftermath of war.
• Engage with and analyze trends, issues, debates, and dilemmas in post-conflict transition and reconstruction processes to grasp the challenges faced and lessons learned in specific cases of post-war transitions.

Watch a sample of the course content from this concentration.

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Please help us get to know you by filling out the following form. After completion, you will gain access to our program brochure and an admissions counselor will reach out to help answer outstanding questions. This will only take a minute!

Specialized Courses

In addition to core courses, students who select the International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution concentration will take the following courses:

Conflict Assessment and Prevention

Some see international conflicts and crises as essential events, the outcomes of which determine subsequent geopolitical arrangements. However, the humanitarian and other costs of such conflicts have helped give rise to the concepts and operations of conflict prevention. In order to better prevent conflict, experts have developed methods of assessing its likelihood, causes, and dynamics.

This course explores the methods and challenges of preventing the outbreak of armed conflict. Students survey contemporary approaches to the assessment of conflict: Conflict assessment frameworks used by different organizations incorporate a variety of theoretical assumptions and empirical tools in order to gain a better understanding of the causes of violent conflict. The course also explores challenges of predicting the outbreak of conflict through the exploration of the early warning concepts and instruments, and it examines the challenge of moving from early warning to preventive action. Students also consider cases of successful and unsuccessful prevention as practiced by national governments, NGOs, civil society organizations, the United Nations, and regional political organizations.

Post-War Transitions

What happens when war ends? How do countries emerging from war grapple with pressing economic, political, and security dilemmas while trying to remain or become stable? The end of war can be described as the “dangerous hour” as a weak state needs to address the underlying causes of the conflict such as systemic economic inequities; highly fragmented political, social, and cultural networks; porous borders; and the presence of different types of criminal networks. Simultaneously, a state emerging from war has to respond to its obligations to international agreements and the pressing demands of new interest groups that emerge in the aftermath of war.

Experience from the field has underscored that signing peace agreements is not sufficient to bring peace and prosperity to conflict-affected societies. According to a World Bank study, almost half of countries emerging from conflict slide back into war as a consequence of national and/or international policy failure. This course will critically examine some of the many multidimensional challenges and opportunities that confront nation-states emerging from war. It will expose students to debates and tensions in the field and introduce some of the techniques and tools used by both international intermediaries (states, IOs, NGOs) and local stakeholders to address top-down and bottom-up issues of economic reconstruction, political governance, security, and legal reform, as well as human rights, rights of refugees and IDP populations, and questions of post-conflict justice. Students will use case studies to design sustainable solutions to specific challenges of post-war transitions while developing a realistic empathy for the constraints that confront decision makers in dynamic environments characterized by uncertainty and limited information.

International Negotiation

International negotiation—the use of non-violent engagement to resolve international disputes or advance international cooperation—is a foundational tool of international relations. The course delves into the origins of international negotiation, provides an understanding of theories of international negotiation, develops students’ capacity to analyze international negotiation strategies and tactics, and improves their negotiation skills through simulation exercises and cases studies.

Careers in International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

The International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution concentration prepares International Relations Online students to apply the skills they learn—including research, professional negotiation, assessment/evaluation, and analysis—in think tanks, nonprofits, consulting firms, international organizations, and government agencies. Potential  ca r eer paths  include positions as consultants, officers, directors, teachers, program/project managers, and others.

Students may work within the field of international negotiation in areas such as:

• International peace building
• Foreign Service or Department of State work
• Democracy building and conflict resolution

The School of International Service also offers the following programs from International Relations Online:  Master’s in International Relations  and  International Service for Experienced Professionals , as well as an on-campus master’s degree, the  International Development Program , in Washington, D.C.

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Download the full list of case summaries here .

Case 367. Strategy or Crisis Management: The 1973 War, U.S.-Egypt Relations, and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process Carl Forsberg ISBN: 978-1-56927-065-3 | Published: 2024

This case explores the minutiae of shuttle diplomacy conducted between the United States, Israel, and Egypt as a result of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, exploring the transformation of U.S.-Egypt relations after 1973. It dissects the impacts of Nixon, Kissinger, and Sadat's personalities in their navigation of Cold War politics and holds important lessons for the past and present of the Arab-Israeli situation.

This case study will enhance a range of political science and history courses. For international relations courses or political science and history courses on US foreign policy, the case study raises questions about the relative roles of domestic politics, geopolitical interests, crisis management, and bureaucratic rivalry in the formulation of US policy. For courses on strategy, diplomacy, and conflict resolution (including in professional military education settings), the case provokes thinking on the relationship between war and its political context, highlighting the frequent disconnect between military victory and strategic success. For courses on the Arab-Israeli conflict or the Cold War, the case highlights a moment in the 1970s that transformed both those conflicts and allows us to use the past to better analyze the persistent rivalries of our own time. Case 366. The 1938 Munich Conference: Hitler, Chamberlain, and Appeasement Paul Doerr ISBN: 978-1-56927-063-9 | Published: 2024

This case explores contentious debates surrounding the years preceding the outbreak of World War II in Europe. It closely tracks diplomatic machinations between allied powers and Hitler's Germany as well as domestic political forces that shaped the most controversial 20th-century foreign policy: Appeasement.

The Munich conference allows students to explore counterfactual history along a number of lines. Should Britain have “stood up” to Hitler before 1939? If so, how? What alternatives were open to the British prior to Munich? In this case, students also explore the constraints under which diplomats and politicians act. Given the economic, strategic and military conditions that Britain faced in the 1930s, how much freedom of action did the British really have? How much of what happened at Munich was pre-conditioned? Students could debate historian Paul Kennedy’s assertion that appeasement was “massively over-determined.” As well, questions of democratic powers confronting dictatorships can also be explored. What “lessons,” if any, can we learn from the Munich conference and its fallout? Students could investigate the mindset of Chamberlain. Was he buying time for rearmament, or did he hope to avoid war altogether? Can any “lessons” from Munich be applied to the current situation in Eastern Europe? Case 365. Scotland and the United Kingdom: “Breaking up is Hard to Do” Lynda K. Barrow ISBN: 978-1-56927-062-2 | Published: 2024

This case examines the historical and present-day political debate around Scottish independence. Against the backdrop of Brexit, a volatile global economic and security climate, and 300 years of intimately shared history, Scotland’s independence movement had special salience in 2014 and again a decade later. The issue is whether the UK can survive as a geopolitical entity and whether Scotland can thrive as a sovereign state (or as part of the EU). How these questions are resolved could have implications for separatist drives everywhere.

This case is well-suited to classes on democracy, constitutions (and concomitant distributions of power within nation-states), sovereignty, nationalism, and identity politics. Case 364. Les Bleus’ Basketball in China: The Power of Sports Diplomacy Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff ISBN: 978-1-56927-060-8 | Published: 2023

This case study documents and analyzes the utility of basketball as a tool of soft power diplomacy, focusing on interactions between France and China since The Cold War and beginning with the Sino-French rapprochement in 1964 and the French basketball team's trip to China in 1966. The case offers students an alternative look at methods of soft power, interspersing players' personal accounts with broader geopolitical machinations.

This case is ideal for any class in which diplomatic soft power is featured as one aspect of interstate relations. Students will gain an appreciation of the powerful symbolism within culture and sport, and how states use these to gain legitimacy, recognition, and respect. Case 363. Negotiating Peace and Justice: Women’s Leadership, Participation, and Representation in the Process to End Civil War in Guatemala Alam, Mayesha & Génesis Torres-Alcántara ISBN: 978-1-56927-046-2 | Published: 2023

This case examines women's involvement in the peace process to end the Civil War in Guatemala. Mayesha Alam and Génesis Torres-Alcántara provide background on the civil war and how it specifically impacted women, and analyze how women's groups organized to achieve their goals in the peace process.

This case study is meant to be instructive and informative but it does not capture every detail about women’s participation in peacemaking in Guatemala. Rather, the case study serves as a comprehensive introduction that can and should be paired with additional resources about Guatemala in particular, and literature, more generally, on relevant topics. Crucial questions include: How were women affected by the civil war in Guatemala? Why did women mobilize to advance peace? What opportunities and challenges did the ASC present for civil society’s participation in the peace process? What difference did women make and where did their efforts fall short?

362. Ousting Boutros-Ghali: The Clinton Administration and the Politics of the United nations Auger, Vincent ISBN: 978-1-56927-045-5 | Published: 2023

This case examines the Clinton Administration's decision to deny Boutros Boutros-Ghali a second term as Secretary-General of the United Nations. Vincent A. Auger, an international relations scholar of U.S. foreign policy, international organizations, and counterterrorism, presents the important players involved, the competing interests of the administration domestically and internationally, as well as the inner workings of the United Nations and the Security Council. He also explains how the United States government used its position in the United Nations to eventually get its way.

This case study exposes the complexities of the U.S. policy process during a decade of post-Cold War global dominance in the 1990s, and the nature of the relationship between the United States and the United Nations. Crucial questions include: How did the rules and politics of the UN influence the way that U.S. officials thought about their options? How did U.S. officials build their strategy to block Boutros-Ghali, and what obstacles did they face in implementing that plan? Why did the administration ultimately resort to a unilateral strategy to achieve its goal? What role did American domestic politics and the media play in shaping the administration’s goals and strategy?

361. Dollarization Diplomacy: The Case of Ecuador and El Salvador Crandall, Britta ISBN: 978-1-56927-042-4 | Published: 2022

This case examines Ecuador and El Salvador's decision to "dollarize," that is, to make the U.S. dollar their official currency. Britta Crandall, a visiting professor of Latin American Studies at Davidson College, explores the very different conditions and motivators that led to the decision to dollarize in each country, and how those decisions played out.

The study of these two countries’ experiences lends unique insights into the factors that drove dollarization, and the limitations of this policy. Macroeconomic crisis, ideology, and specific economic interests contributed to the decisions. These cases also reveal that the decision to adopt a foreign currency—a process that is by definition international—can be domestically driven, often in the face of international opposition.

360. Sports Diplomacy in Africa: The NBA and the Basketball Africa League Krasnoff, Lindsay ISBN: 978-1-56927-043-1 | Published: 2022

This case examines the creation of the Basketball Africa League and its impact on sports diplomacy. Based on the author's experience as a historian, writer, and consultant working at the intersection of global sports, communications, and diplomacy, this case provides a framework through which students can learn about the NBA'S different basketball diplomacy efforts in Africa over time and how those efforts contribute to addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sport’s ability to cut across the different SDGs makes it a uniquely valuable tool to promote stronger, more resilient communities worldwide. For example, developing a sport—increasing the number of people who play, as well as their access to facilities, while improving skills—can help promote gender equality through greater opportunities for women and girls to engage in sports and learn key skills like leadership. It can strengthen economic development by stimulating local businesses or investment in infrastructure like courts and arenas, as well as the roads and public transportation needed to get fans to matches. Basketball and its practice can help promote public health, education, and access to higher education opportunities through sports scholarships for gifted players, as well as greater social cohesion as people bond together through teamwork toward their on-court goals. Basketball, and sport more broadly, sits at the intersection of development, gender, education, health, ethnicity, migration, and more.

This case challenges student's to think critically about a number of questions, such as why the NBA was investing in an African league? How does basketball serve as a driver of globalization, focusing attention on issues that transcend national boundaries, while forging pan-African identity? What is the intersection of sports and diplomacy within the African basketball context, and how can it play a role in furthering African development and diplomacy through the BAL?

359. The Road Not Taken: How the Iran-India Pipeline Fell Victim to new Delhi's Grand Strategy Shift Shidore, Sarang ISBN: 978-1-56927-038-7 | Published: 2022

This case study explores the twists and turns in India’s relations with Iran between 2005 and 2012. It is designed to illustrate the material and ideational factors that drove a rising middle power like India to make policy choices with a backdrop of a major shift in its grand strategy. A secondary focus is how the U.S. deployed diplomacy to help achieve largely favorable outcomes in a key region of the world. Negotiations for the India-Pakistan-Iran (IPI) pipeline and a proposed Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) deal form the fulcrum for process-tracing the narrative. The simultaneous narrative of the India-U.S. negotiations on the nuclear deal (that provides a major intervening variable) are also temporally overlaid and traced at relevant points. When taken together, these narratives provide a composite and more complete picture of choices and decisions that Indian diplomats faced.

357. Cyprus: Seeking Solutions. A Case Study of the 2015-2017 Negotiations Doherty, Kathleen ISBN: 978-1-56927-035-6 | Published: 2021

This case study examines the twenty-six months of UN-facilitated, Cypriot-led negotiations to reunify the island of Cyprus from May 2015 to July 2017. Drawing upon the author’s experience as U.S. ambassador to Cyprus during this period, the case assesses the roles and negotiating positions of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, the United Nations, the European Union, the governments of the United Kingdom, Turkey, Greece, Russia, France, and the United States. Historically the United States has played the role of “honest broker” in negotiations over Cyprus; during this period, then Vice President Biden and later Vice President Pence took an active interest in the talks.

Despite a promising start and being seen as the best chance for success in a decade, the negotiations failed in the early hours of July 6, 2017. “I’m very sorry to tell you that despite the very strong commitment and engagement of all the delegations and different parties ... the conference on Cyprus was closed without an agreement being reached,” stated United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

The study explores the issues involved and the positions of the various actors, and identifies factors that contributed to the negotiations’ failure. Since positions and explanations are not all in the public domain, the analysis is indicative, not comprehensive.

356. The Kashmir Back Channel: India-Pakistan Negotiations on Kashmir from 2004-2007 Jacob, Happymon ISBN: 978-1-56927-034-9 | Published: 2021

In early 2007, Indian and Pakistani back-channel interlocutors, appointed by the respective heads of government, were preparing to finalize a secret deal to resolve their dispute over Kashmir. Had the negotiators managed to finalize a deal, the two counties would have signed it in a public ceremony. Such a deal could have brought the decades-long Kashmir conflict to a peaceful end. However, the deal, which was confidentially negotiated in secret third country locations for a period of close to three years, was neither finalized nor signed due to domestic political upheaval in Pakistan. Successive governments in Pakistan tried to continue the negotiations with the Indian government to complete the agreement, but those attempts did not succeed. This was the first time India and Pakistan had engaged in a serious, sustained and structured back-channel negotiation to resolve the most severe conflict between them.

This case study provides deeper insights into the conflict dynamics between India and Pakistan and the progress of the negotiations themselves. Based on original interviews with the participants in the negotiations, this case study seeks to highlight how the political context emerged for the Kashmir negotiations, how political leaders on both sides established the back-channel, how it worked, how negotiators arrived at the agreement, and the circumstances that stopped the final ratification and implementation of the agreement. 355. Estonia: The First Battle in the Modern Disinformation War. Lessons for Democracies Fighting Warfare Heering, Jonas & Heera Kamboj ISBN: 978-1-56927-027-1 | Published: 2021

On the night of April 26, 2007, riots erupted in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Groups consisting largely of ethnic Russians, who make up approximately one third of Tallinn’s population, protested in the streets, clashed with police forces, and looted and destroyed stores in response to the Estonian government’s announcement that it would move the statue of the "Bronze Soldier"—a Soviet war memorial—from Tallinn’s city center to a military cemetery in the suburbs. The riots were fueled by false reports in Russian-language media outlets, which claimed that the statue, as well as several Soviet military graves, had been destroyed. And, as the protests waned, Estonia became the target of a three-week long series of cyber attacks from Russian Internet Protocol (IP) addresses that brought down most of the country’s digital infrastructure, from government websites to online banking systems and digital news media.

As a target of this combination of cyber attacks and influence operations, Estonia became one of the first victims of what has been described as a new form of Russian hybrid warfare—a core element of which involves the dissemination of disinformation. This case study explores the events, aftermath, and policy responses to events in 2007, and puts the episode in context of the modern fight against disinformation. 354. Resolving the Libyan Crisis: An ISD International Negotiation Simulation Institute for the Study of Diplomacy ISBN: 978-1-56927-021-9 | Published: 2021

This case study allows students to simulate intensive, multi-party negotiations in a one-day exercise in order to seek a political settlement to the Libyan conflict. The instructor will divide the group into seven teams. Each team has intensive face-to-face meetings with the other teams, guided by its confidential negotiation instructions. Participants need not be experts on the region—the simulation materials contain all of the information needed to participate successfully in the exercise. This scenario is based on real events, but the negotiations are set in the future with additional hypothetical developments.

353. Circumventing the Foreign Policy Bureaucracy: Henry Kissinger, Anatoly Dobrynin, and Back-Channel Diplomacy Moss, Richard A.  ISBN: 978-1-56927-019-6 | Published: 2021

This case study explores the back-channel relationship between Henry Kissinger, who served as Nixon’s national security advisor (and later secretary of state), and Anatoly Dobrynin, the Soviet Union’s ambassador to the United States from 1962 to 1986. During the Nixon administration (1969-1974), the Kissinger-Dobrynin channel became the primary forum for candid discussion of the major issues in superpower relations, often to the exclusion of the traditional diplomatic bureaucracy of the U.S. Department of State.  The case, which is derived from the author's book,  Nixon’s Back Channel to Moscow: Confidential Diplomacy and Détente   (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2017), combines a detailed historical account of the Nixon-era back-channel diplomacy with interactive teaching resources

352. Ireland's Election to the UN Human Rights Council: Power, Influence, Reputation

Anderson, Anne ISBN: 978-1-56927-040-0 | Published: 2021

Elections to UN bodies provide an important window into the work of the world’s largest and most important international organization. This case examines the role of a comparatively small state, Ireland, and its successful election to the UN Human Rights Council in November 2012. The case begins with background on the role of elections at the United Nations, both for the Human Rights Council and the Security Council. While elections to the Security Council traditionally attract the most attention, the Human Rights Council is an increasingly important venue for electoral competition among member states, and a site of significant controversies. This increasing importance also highlights that the United Nations, despite its size and mammoth bureaucracy, is far from a static organization. Therefore, this case enables students to consider changes in the UN over time—as well as prospects for future reform—through the lens of UN election processes, mechanisms, and resources. The case’s discussion of the resources required to succeed in UN elections provides a practitioner’s insight into the nuts and bolts of day-to-day campaigns for seats on UN bodies, and the ways in which diplomats’ choices are constrained by the resources made available to them by their capitals. In addition to the perennial question of UN Security Council reform, instructors may also wish to use this case study to explore questions of legitimacy and hypocrisy at the Human Rights Council, and criticisms that the Council provides a platform for a rogues’ gallery of human rights abusers to undermine the UN’s values.

351. The 2011 NATO Intervention in Libya

Heffern, John A. ISBN: 978-1-56927-058-5 | Published: 2020

This case examines NATO’s decision to intervene in Libya in 2011. Drawing on the author’s experience as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to NATO, the case assesses the decision-making processes in Washington, New York (the UN), and Brussels (NATO) that led the international community to launch a military operation in Libya under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. Through engagement with this case, students will develop an understanding of the opportunities and constraints of multilateral approaches to military intervention. The Libya crisis enables students to see the pros and cons of NATO-led operations and so-called coalitions of the willing in humanitarian intervention.

350. The Customer is Always Wrong: The Airbus A220 and U.S. Trade Law

Letovsky, Robert ISBN:  978-1-56927-056-1  | Published: 2020

The case focuses on the events leading up to the January, 2018 ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) overturning anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) on imports of the CSeries commercial jet, produced by Bombardier, Inc., a Canadian company.   The decision—and the imposition of the initial duties by the U.S. DoC—fundamentally reshaped the global aerospace industry. It led the two largest manufacturers (Airbus and Boeing) to essentially take over significant portions of the third and fourth largest manufacturers (Bombardier of Canada and Embraer of Brazil, respectively).

349. Universal Jurisdiction and the Rwandan Genocide: Global Justice or Vigilante Politics?

Leonard, Eric  ISBN:  978-1-56927-054-7  | Published: 2020

On June 8, 2001, a Belgian court found Alphonse Higaniro, Vincent Ntezimana, Sister Gertrude, and Sister Maria Kisito guilty of crimes committed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Although all of the accused lived in Belgium at the time of their arrest, none of the Butare Four (as they are commonly known) were Belgian citizens, none of the victims were Belgian citizens, and none of the crimes were committed on Belgian soil. The trial and prosecution of the Butare Four appears to be a case of pure universal jurisdiction; one of the few in human rights’ legal history. The unique nature of this trial and the subsequent political fallout makes this an interesting case for understanding what the future of international justice might look like, along with an examination of sovereignty and authority in the global community. This case explores questions of international law and politics in response to one of the most horrifying episodes of the 20th century. 

348. Curbing Iran's Nuclear and Regional Ambitions: An ISD International Negotiation Simulation

Institute for the Study of Diplomacy ISBN: 978-1-56927-050-9 | Published: 2020

This negotiation simulation is designed to help students understand the dynamics of international nuclear negotiations. Student copies provide background details on Iran’s nuclear program and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which students will use to negotiate at a hypothetical arms control conference. In this scenario, Iran has threatened to withdraw from the Non-proliferation Treaty. Student teams will represent the major players involved in the JCPOA, negotiating the possible avenues to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, as well as its ballistic missile program and support for proxy groups across the Middle East.

347. Resolving the Syria Conflict: An ISD International Negotiation Simulation

Institute for the Study of Diplomacy ISBN: 978-1-56927-032-5 | Published: 2019

This negotiation simulation is designed to help students understand the dynamics of international peace talks. Student copies provide full background details of the conflict in Syria, which students will use to negotiate at a hypothetical peace conference. In this scenario, the civil war in Syria ends with President Assad still in power. Student teams will represent the major players involved in the conflict, negotiating the possible avenues for Syria’s future governance and leadership as well as the role the Kurds and other opposition groups can play in a peacetime country. The negotiation simulation is most suitable for groups of between 28 and 35 students divided into 7 teams. Instructor copies include schedules and other details to run the simulation exercise.

346. The Colombian Peace Process: An ISD International Negotiation Simulation

Institute for the Study of Diplomacy ISBN: 978-1-56927-052-3 | Published: 2020

This negotiation simulation is designed to help students understand the dynamics of international peace talks. Student copies provide background details of the conflict in Colombia, which students will use to participate in several rounds of negotiations held in Havana. The simulation is designed to be split over two sessions, but could be divided into three or four shorter blocs. In this scenario, participants operate within the framework of the 2015 peace talks aimed at solving the decades-long conflict between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Student teams will represent the major players involved in the conflict, negotiating over issues including transitional justice and disarmament.

345. Whitewashing and Confronting Hungary’s Antisemitic Past: The Bálint Hóman Statue in Székesfehérvár

Forman, Ira  ISBN: 978-1-56927-030-1 | Published: 2019

In 2015 the Hungarian government announced it would fund a statue in the city of Székesfehérvár to honor Bálint Hóman, a pre-World War II historian and government minister. Hóman had a long history as an antisemite, and had co-authored legislation to undermine Jewish citizenship in Hungary. After World War II broke out, Hóman continued to serve in Parliament under the Nazi regime, and had been an advocate for the deportation of Hungarian Jews. This case study examines the controversy that ensued over the Hóman statue, the local and foreign reactions, and the US government decision to lead a coalition to oppose the statue project. The case will challenge students to consider the issue from various perspectives. Why did Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government feel it was necessary to honor such a controversial figure? Why was the Hungarian Jewish community so opposed to the statue—and what was the broader global reaction? And what was the US diplomatic response?

344. From Civil War to Civil War: The Struggle for Peace in Sudan and South Sudan

Lyman, Princeton N. ISBN: 978-1-56927-028-8 | Published: 2018

Since independence in 1956, Sudan experienced two major civil wars, a genocidal conflict in Darfur, secession of the southern part of the country, and civil war in the newly independent South Sudan. This case study focuses on the tools and actions of diplomacy, and US and international efforts to resolve these conflicts. The author, Special Envoy Princeton N. Lyman, provides fascinating insights into the long and complex diplomacy in the case of Sudan, and the quiet but effective moves beyond the public eye to bring parties to the table. This case study also offers a rare look at the role of special envoys in the peace process, and details the areas where US and other international partners were able to push forward on agreements, with an assessment of what prevented the emergence of a stable and long-lasting peace in Sudan and South Sudan.

343. The 2014-2015 West Africa Ebola Outbreak: The Diplomacy of Response and Recovery in Guinea

Standley, Claire ISBN: 978-1-56927-019-6| Published: 2018

The 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia killed more than 11,000 people, and offered a stark reminder that viruses do not recognize international borders. The global public health community and local health officials scrambled to respond quickly to help those infected with Ebola, and stop the spread of the disease. This case study looks at the global response in West Africa, as well as efforts to build laboratory capacity in Guinea. Students will examine the political factors and diplomacy governing global assistance in the context of the outbreak of a deadly disease and the transition from urgent response to longer-term capacity building and development needs. The case reviews how these factors, and the overall tragedy of Ebola in West Africa, offering lessons for the global response to public health emergencies.

342. Global Governance of Disease

Katz, Rebecca ISBN: 978-1-56927-018-9 | Published: 2017

The movement of people, animals, and goods have facilitated the spread of disease throughout history, but the fast pace of globalization in the 21st century increases the danger of pandemics that transcend national borders. This case study traces the historical evolution of global disease governance structures from the first International Sanitary Conference in 1851 to the creation of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the ratification of the International Health Regulations (IHR) in 2005, and examines the global health diplomacy behind the decisions to declare Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC) in response to outbreaks of H1N1, Polio, Ebola, and Zika. The case study then discusses the political and organizational challenges to creating an effective global response to recurring as well as new disease threats.

341. US Strategy to Stem North Korea’s Nuclear Program: Assessing the Clinton and Bush Legacies

Institute for the Study of Diplomacy ISBN: 978-1-56927-015-8 | Published: 2017

North Korea’s nuclear program was a microcosm of the kind of complex security challenges the United States would confront in the 21st century. This case study examines the role of the US intelligence and foreign policy communities to reduce the global and regional security threats posed by nuclear proliferation in North Korea, by looking at the very different approaches adopted by the Clinton and Bush administrations. This case study focuses on the North Korean nuclear threat as a way to examine the dynamics of intelligence and policy. As the United States and Asia continue to grapple with the threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea, what are the next steps for US diplomacy? What lessons from this case study can inform future US administrations and policymakers toward their policy and negotiations with North Korea—or other states that may be embarking on a nuclear weapons program?

340. The Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-1998: Adapting US Intelligence and Policymaking to the Challenges of Global Economics

Institute for the Study of Diplomacy ISBN: 978-1-56927-006-6 | Published: 2017

Does the United States—or any other government—have the tools to stop a looming global economic crisis? This case study investigates the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 and the response of the US intelligence and policy community. The Asian financial crisis illustrates the vast range of US and international security challenges that stem from private sector activities operating largely outside of government control—in ways that adversely affect international markets and national economies. This case study offers an overview of the policy measures that successfully stemmed the crisis in Asia, and discusses whether these tools might prevent a similar currency-related meltdown.

339. Tunisia and the Start of the Arab Spring

Gray, Gordon ISBN: 978-1-56927-011-0 | Published: 2017

This case study, written by the US ambassador to Tunisia from 2009-2012, examines the roots of the Arab Spring, how and why it unfolded in Tunisia, and the US role as the Ben Ali government collapsed. It offers an overview of Tunisian history and society, including a close look at the two men who had led Tunisia after the country’s independence in 1956, and what their regimes had and had not achieved. The case study examines pivotal events leading up to the revolution of 2010-2011, underscoring the complexity and multiplicity of their causal factors, and offers a detailed look at the diplomacy behind the US support for the democratic transition. There is also a broader discussion of the Arab Spring as a revolutionary movement, and its longer-term impact on other Arab societies and on US interests in North Africa and the Middle East.

338. Women’s Participation in the Good Friday Agreement Negotiations: A Case Study on Northern Ireland

Turkington, Rebecca ISBN: 978-1-56927-013-4 | Published: 2017

The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 ended thirty years of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. For decades, Catholic Nationalists had fought against Protestant Unionists in a bitter conflict known as Ireland’s “Troubles.” This case study examines the pivotal role women played in the negotiations to bring about peace. Northern Ireland’s peace negotiations were notable for their inclusion of civil society actors in general, including an innovative electoral approach to broaden the voices at the table, and promote genuine inclusion. The case draws heavily from extensive interviews with many of the negotiating parties, including members of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, which gained seats at the table through the electoral system’s ‘top-up’ provisions.

337. Intelligence: A Key Partner to Diplomacy

Laipson, Ellen ISBN: 978-1-56927-009-7 | Published: 2017

This case study examines the nexus between intelligence gathering and the practice of diplomacy. Both are vital components of US foreign policy, yet the full range of US intelligence activities is often little understood. Intelligence officers are tasked with providing neutral input to help advise and inform US foreign policy, and help diplomats implement policy and advise the executive branch. Successful policy implementation often depends on the quality and quantity of intelligence available to diplomats. This study provides a conceptual background for understanding the intelligence-diplomacy relationship and introduces all the agencies and units active in the US intelligence effort. To illustrate the wide range of interactions between US diplomats and the intelligence community, Laipson includes four historical “mini-cases”:

• intelligence briefings during the breakdown of Yugoslavia in 1990
• intel during the 2012 attacks on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya
• the role of intelligence in arms control and verification measures
• intelligence as a back channel in diplomacy

336. The US and Soviet Proxy War in Afghanistan, 1989-1992

Institute for the Study of Diplomacy ISBN: 978-1-56927-004-2 | Published: 2017

This case study, drawn from an Institute for the Study of Diplomacy working group series on strategic surprise, focuses on events in Afghanistan during the late 1980s and early 1990s and the policy decisions and consequences of completely withdrawing from engagement in Afghanistan in 1992. The case looks at how policy decisions surrounding these events affected US national strategic objectives in the region at the time—and whether an earlier, and deeper, consideration of the possible implications of the rise of radical Islamic groups might have changed the way in which the United States provided assistance to the mujahideen during and after the Soviet occupation. A decade later, Afghanistan and the radical groups operating within the country would emerge as a major national security challenge for the United States.

335. Peacemaking in Southern Africa: The Namibia-Angola Settlement of 1988

Crocker, Chester A. ISBN: 978-1-56927-002-8 | Published: 2017

Few conflicts in the waning years of the Cold War involved more players than Southern Africa. Namibia, which had been under de facto rule by South Africa since 1915, by the 1970s was caught up in an independence movement as well as a greater regional struggle and a Cold War power play. The United States, Soviet Union, Cuba, and South Africa all became involved in Angola’s civil war, which threatened to spill over into both Namibia and South Africa. Written by US lead negotiator Ambassador Chester A. Crocker, this case study details the eight-year negotiations to bring about peace in the region—and secure Namibia’s independence from South Africa. The case includes a practical discussion of the concepts of “linkage” and “ripeness”—which help explain how the US team was able to push the negotiations to conclusion in 1988.

334. Tourism Development: A Path to Peace in Sri Lanka?

Fassihi, Manny ISBN: 978-1-56927-000-4 | Published: 2017

Could Sri Lanka’s tourism sector be a primary driver of economic development – and a way to bring about a lasting peace? This case study looks at the early decision to pursue tourism as a driver of development in the 1950s, and follows the history of Sri Lanka and its tourism industry through 2016. In 2002, the government of Sri Lanka reached a breakthrough with the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) to bring the civil war, which had been going on for almost two decades, to a ceasefire. Bilateral and multilateral development agencies quickly looked to help the country rebuild, and developing the tourism sector was once again a primary economic development goal. The devastating tsunami and renewed fighting threatened these goals, however.

333. Crisis in Dominion: An Information and Intelligence Assessment

Auerswald, David P. ISBN: 978-1-56927-023-3 | Published: 2015

This simulation is geared for a 60-to-90-minute seminar in courses on intelligence analysis, ethnic conflict, humanitarian interventions, or foreign policy decision-making. The case study asks participants to assess ambiguous and possibly contradictory information from a variety of raw and finished sources, and then explore what sorts of questions a consumer of information should ask of the intelligence community. The fictional crisis unfolds in three informal stages in the fictional country of Dominion. The first describes negotiations to settle the civil war there. The second stage begins when the presidents of Dominion and a neighboring state are assassinated, sparking the re-emergence of a simmering ethnic conflict between the region's two main ethnic groups. The third charts the devolution of the country into renewed civil war, with questions as to which side is engaging in atrocities and which external actors might be supporting each side.

332. The Withdrawal from UNESCO: International Organizations and the U.S. Role

Rosenthal, Joel H. ISBN: Unassigned | Published: 2011

In December 1983, U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz sent a letter to Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow, director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, notifying him of the United States' intention to leave UNESCO by the end of 1984 unless the organization adopted serious reforms. A year later, Sec. Shultz confirmed Washington's withdrawal, leaving it and London, which followed the American lead, outside an organization they had done so much to create nearly 40 years earlier. This case study analyzes how such a promising vision of the potential of multinational cooperation went sour, and assesses the roles ideology, domestic U.S. politics and policy disagreements within the Reagan administration played in the decision to withdraw.

331. State Narratives in Complex Media Environments: The Case of Ukraine

Walker, Vivian S. ISBN: Unassigned | Published: 2015

This case study begins with an examination of the origins of the strategic narrative Russia has developed about its new, post-Cold War identity and how that narrative has shaped its propaganda offensive in Ukraine. Following a review of key elements in Russia’s information arsenal, it then assesses Kyiv's counter-narratives, focusing in particular on the East/West dynamic that both defines and complicates its identity as a sovereign state. The study then assesses Ukraine’s information initiatives and assets, before concluding with a set of recommendations for achieving effective strategic narrative development and projecting a complex information environment.

330. From Miracle to Crisis: Brazilian Foreign Debt and the Limits of Obligation

Landy, Thomas M. ISBN: Unassigned | Published: 2015

In a September 1986 speech to the United Nations, Brazilian President Jose Sarney declared that his country's massive debt imperiled its newly restored democracy, and warned that Brazil would not "pay its foreign debt with recession, nor with unemployment, nor with hunger." Such crises illustrate the reality that some global financial obligations become so onerous that they must be restructured or forgiven--yet there is no single entity in the international arena with the authority to make and enforce such a binding determination. This case study codifies and explores a set of questions whose answers can help resolve such challenges, which—as we have seen in Greece, among other countries—remain as relevant today as they were 30 years ago. It would be appropriate for courses in world politics, international political economy, development issues, and foreign policy analysis at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

329. High Drama in Honduras: Constitutional Crisis and the Overthrow of President Zelaya

Barrow, Lynda K. ISBN: 1-56927-380-4 | Published: 2012

In the pre-dawn hours of June 28, 2009, some 200 armed, hooded members of the Honduran military pulled President Manuel Zelaya from his bed, whisked him out of the presidential palace, loaded him onto a military plane, and packed him off to Costa Rica. Thus began what quickly became a full-blown crisis for Honduras and the region. This three-part case study focuses on the questions this episode raises about the nature of Honduras’ constitutional order, as well as broader questions about democratic legitimacy. Part A sets out the events leading to Zelaya’s ouster, including his political alliance with Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez and his push to get voter approval for a National Constituent Assembly. It ends with the inauguration of a new Honduran president, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, in January 2010. Part B briefly explores the international community’s response, while Part C delves into the constitutional crisis that Zelaya’s removal fomented.

328. Pharmaceuticals, Patents, and U.S. Trade Policy

McDonald, Michael K. ISBN: 1-56927-379-0 | Published: 2012

This case study examines the role of intellectual property rights in U.S. trade policymaking by analyzing the Obama administration’s handling of the May 2009 report on Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, due to Congress just four months after President Barack Obama took office. The case examines the role of intellectual property rights in trade negotiations, the impact of the 2006 midterm elections on the trade process with respect to intellectual property, and the example of Thailand’s drug licensing program. It offers a concrete look at the politics of trade policymaking, the role of intellectual property rights and the “Access to Medicines” campaign on trade politics, and the negotiating process between the administration and Congress regarding trade.

327. Unveiling the Veil Ban Dilemma: The Case of Leyla Sahin

Piatti-Crocker, Adriana and Laman Tasch ISBN: 1-56027 | Published: 2012

This case study examines the historical evolution of secularism in Turkey and analyzes the legality of veil bans in Turkey and in some Western European countries. Through the case of Leyla Sahin, who was not allowed to register for classes at the University of Istanbul in 1998 simply because she wore an Islamic veil, it sheds light on whether banning Muslim veils in public spaces falls within the realms of current regional and international human rights law. This study is designed to be taught in a variety of courses in international relations and comparative politics. It could also be employed in classes that discuss globalization, international law, human rights, the growing influence of international and regional organizations in domestic politics, or gender politics.

326. Morality, Public Health, and the National Interest: The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

Dietrich, John W. ISBN: 1-56927-300-6 | Published: 2012

In his January 2003 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush called on the United States to commit $15 billion over five years under a new program, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), to address the international HIV/AIDS epidemic. This case study examines how AIDS issues fit into existing and emerging definitions of national interests; explores whether to use bilateral or multilateral funding and programs to combat the disease; and considers whether funding restrictions should include U.S. values on prevention strategies and encourage the use of U.S.-manufactured drugs. Collectively, PEPFAR decisions raise the issue of whether funding programs in the developing world gives rich countries undue leverage over policy choices, and thus represents, intentionally or not, a form of neoimperialism. The study is designed to be used in introductory or advanced courses in international politics, U.S. foreign policy, or more specialized courses examining ethics in international relations.

325. The Vietnam Dilemma

Love, Maryann Cusimano ISBN: 1-56927-552-1 | Published: 2011

When John V. Hanford III was sworn into office in May 2002 as the U.S. ambassador-at-large for religious freedom, he chose Vietnam as the country he would visit first in his new role. Although bilateral ties had rapidly warmed following the normalization of relations in 1995, Hanoi’s human rights record was so poor that many members of Congress wanted to designate Vietnam a “country of particular concern” under the terms of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. This case study asks participants to assess Ambassador Hanford’s strategy for deciding whether adding Vietnam to the CPC list would improve or exacerbate conditions.

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Resources Negotiation case studies

Follow our real-life negotiation case studies and learn how to prepare a humanitarian negotiation step by step.

Understand how to apply the Naivasha Grid , a conceptual framework that supports humanitarian workers to prepare for and manage field negotiations more systematically.

For a more detailed explanation of our negotiation tools, check the  CCHN Field Manual on Frontline Humanitarian Negotiation .

Negotiate a vaccination campaign in a conflict area

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This panel addresses the current state of dialogue between humanitarian negotiators and armed entities, specifically to protect civilian populations.

The session will dissect the challenges encountered in these high-stakes discussions, including sanctions, political barriers, and trust deficits that hinder successful outcomes.

Through a negotiation lens, experts will explore effective strategies for breaking down these barriers, establishing common ground, and advancing civilian protection agendas.

The aim is to share insights, experiences, and good practices that can enhance the safety and security of civilians in conflict zones through improved engagement with weapon bearers.

• Pascal Bongard, Co-Director of the Centre of Armed Groups
• Houda Chalchoul, Senior Legal Officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• Juliet Kelechi Unubi, Humanitarian Diplomacy Advisor at the International Committee of the Red Cross
• Stephen Kilpatrick, former Advisor at the International Committee of the Red Cross and retired British soldier

Watch recording

Humanitarian action is guided by the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. However, field realities often present scenarios where these principles may conflict with each other or with the urgent need to provide aid.

The decision-making process in these situations is intricate and fraught with moral and ethical dilemmas. Understanding the motivations and justifications behind such decisions is crucial for the evolution of humanitarian negotiation strategies and for maintaining the trust and safety of both aid workers and beneficiaries.

This panel aims to dissect the complex dynamics between adhering to humanitarian principles and confronting the harsh realities of conflict zones and crises.

• Jordi Casafont Torra, Head of Access Unit at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
• Assem Elessawy, Operations Coordinator at the International Committee of the Red Cross
• Caroline Gaudron, Conflict and Humanitarian Advisor at Médecins Sans Frontières
• Ed Schenkenberg, Executive Director at HERE

In the past, learning opportunities in our sector were often provided through a single-agency format, driven by reasons like confidentiality and organizational specificity. However, the last decade has seen a shift towards interagency or multi-agency formats, enriching peer experiences and enhancing coordinated humanitarian efforts in the field. The Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation (CCHN) has embraced this approach, fostering a community of practice with over 8,000 members.

During this session, CCHN aims to highlight the benefits of multi-agency learning opportunities and explore ways to improve collaboration across different offerings in the sector.

Humanitarian negotiation, now recognized as a crucial competence, encompasses various soft skills such as communication, empathy, and influence. Its formalisation has led to a highly connected global community of practice, promoting peer learning and development.

Additionally, the session will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Naivasha Grid, showcasing its impact and expansion through the community of practice in deep-field operations.

• Josef Reiterer, Lead of the Capability Development I Civil-Military Coordination Service, Response Support Branch (RSB) and Coordination Division at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
• Panos Moumtzis, Executive Director of the Global Executive Leadership Initiative
• Alain Lempereur,
• Kristin Fabbe, Chair in Comparative Politics and Business, Director of Executive Education at the European University Institute
• Eileen Morrow, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at the International Council for Voluntary Agencies

In this session, we will address the intersection of climate change, conflict, and humanitarian needs, focusing on negotiating for long-term solutions and resilience in vulnerable regions affected by environmental degradation.

• H.E. Mr. Jamal Jama Al Musharakh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative for the United Arab Emirates
• Shumaila Murtaza, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Manager at Foundation for Rural Development
• Hugo Slim, Senior Research Fellow, Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford

Watch recording.

Local negotiators rooted in their communities are pivotal yet often unrecognised in their contribution to resolving crises.

In this session, we will explore the intricate dynamics between ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers and the risk transfer from international to local actors within the context of negotiations, and how external actors can support local actors’ efforts without dominating.

It will address the strategies and ethical considerations involved in negotiating access, protection, and assistance while minimising associated risks for local partners.

The conversation will delve into how negotiation practices can be structured to safeguard all parties, with a special focus on the leadership of local humanitarians without transferring undue risk.

Panelists, including field experts, local negotiators, and security specialists, will share insights and debate approaches to achieving effective and safe humanitarian operations through negotiation.

• Mohammad Alzayed, Health Coordinator at Amel Association International
• Sana Bousbih, freelance Protection and Migration Specialist
• Anastasiya Marchuk, Head of Programmes at Nonviolent Peaceforce
• Andriii Pozniakevych, Head of Disaster Management Department at the Ukrainian Red Cross
• Amro Tarrisi, Head of Programme at Save the Children
• Joanna “Aśka” Warchał-Beneschi, NGO Forum Coordinator at the NGO Forum “Razem” (hosted by Polish Humanitarian Action)

Today, the vital role of women in diplomacy, mediation, and humanitarian negotiation is increasingly acknowledged yet underutilized.

Set against the backdrop of global crises, we explore the integration of women’s unique perspectives and strategies in these traditionally male-dominated fields.

This session seeks to identify and overcome obstacles to female participation, showcasing how gender diversity can lead to more effective and enduring solutions in peace negotiations and humanitarian interventions.

• Adnan Baghajati, Programme Coordinator – Humanitarian Access at the International Organization for Migration
• Anouk Heili, Humanitarian Specialist at UN Women
• Naw May Khin Thet, Senior Programme Manager at the International Rescue Committee
• Mariama Sawadogo, Humanitarian Consultant
• Ina’m Shakhatreh, Executive Assistant at Médecins Sans Frontières
• Diana Tamayo Vélez, Regional Officer for Protection and Accountability at the United Nations World Food Programme
• Irene Marina Zaddach, Programme Officer at the International Organization for Migration

When humanitarian and diplomatic actors collaborate, it can lead to more comprehensive and sustainable solutions, addressing immediate needs and the underlying causes of conflicts.

This session will explore how humanitarian diplomacy can be effectively integrated into frontline negotiations. It will highlight the importance of leveraging the intersection between these two aspects of humanitarian action.

Speakers, which include frontline humanitarian negotiators and seasoned diplomats, will share experiences from their unique perspectives, providing valuable insights into collaborative problem-solving in complex situations.

• Ghada Al Sayegh, Lebanon Missing Responsible, International Committee of the Red Cross
• Anastasiya Marchuk, Head of Programmes, Nonviolent Peaceforce
• Peter Maurer, CCHN Board President
• Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant United Nations High Commissioner for Protection
• H.E. Ms Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs
• Ambassador Deike Potzel, Director Director General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilisation, Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Assistance, Government of Germany

Recording not available.

This workshop aims to equip humanitarian negotiators with strategies to increase their leverage and secure agreements when facing more powerful counterparts, such as non-state armed groups or dominant governments.

It will cover practical techniques, case studies, and psychological tactics specifically tailored for scenarios where the negotiator is at a power disadvantage.

The session will balance between exchanging expertise, storytelling, and competing in an interactive game on how humanitarians can negotiate with power.

• Johannes Rothe, Operations Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross

How are misinformation, disinformation and hate speech employed to shift leverage and power dynamics during negotiations?

Join this session to learn how to identify and neutralise digital threats, maintain the factual groundwork of negotiation scenarios, and ensure the integrity of your negotiation processes.

• Nataliia Azhypa, Programme Manager at Direct Relief Poland
• Gary Karr, Speechwriter and communication expert at the International Organization for Migration
• Max Lamesch, Director for Humanitarian Affairs at the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
• Philippe Stoll, Senior Techplomacy Delegate at the International Committee of the Red Cross
• Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, Acting Director of the Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness as well as the COVID-19 Technical Lead – World Health Organization at the World Health Organization

The efficiency of humanitarian response following a disaster depends on how fast coordination structures are established, supply chains are enabled, and human and financial resources are mobilised.

Negotiating in disaster contexts becomes challenging because of the many parties involved. Often, survivors are turned into first responders until traditional humanitarian response mechanisms are set up. Then, when humanitarian actors step in, it’s necessary to negotiate and coordinate the response among the multiple actors.

In 2023, the CCHN launched its research on negotiating in the context of disasters. Since then, we have conducted a series of interviews to understand field practices, produced a report and developed a thematic session with the project to expand this topic in the future.

The CCHN first started researching the topic of communities at the centre of negotiations in the framework of the Middle East Think Tank, a year-long project developed in collaboration with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

A group of CCHN community members shared experiences, reviewed litterature and worked with experts from other sectors to identify the main challenges related to the topic.

The group then led focus group discussions to develop good practices and tools that support frontline workers when negotiations involve communities.

Negotiating and operating in contexts affected by gang violence requires a strategic approach. These contexts tend to be volatile, unpredictable and hard to access. Establishing clear communication lines is hindered because gangs are highly fragmented and command changes often.

Research conducted by the CCHN points towards the importance of staff continuity, the need for long-term psychological support and building trust as best strategies to operate in gang-controlled areas.

We continue to work on this topic and offer practical advice to humanitarians working in these contexts.

To assist affected populations, humanitarian professionals often carry out negotiations with the support of interpreters. Communication changes when interpreters are involved, and if the negotiator or interpreter have little experience doing this, challenges arise, and negotiation outcomes suffer.

The CCHN regularly talks to negotiators and interpreters who work together in humanitarian contexts to understand what obstacles they face and how to remove them. Since 2022, we have developed a report, guidelines and learning modules to help interpreters and negotiators improve their working relationship.

Unlike negotiators in other fields, humanitarian negotiators are often exposed to extremely stressful environments over prolonged periods of time in addition to episodic intense pressure peaks.

Research conducted by the CCHN focuses on the causes and consequences of pressure, and best practices to counter it. We have developed a programme to help humanitarians to prepare, handle and reduce pressure, and offer regular meetings to discuss this topic in our community.

Humanitarian negotiations and humanitarian diplomacy are inherently intertwined, but what differentiates them isn’t always clear. Some see humanitarian negotiations as one of the many instruments of humanitarian diplomacy, whereas others see the latter as efforts made at a “higher” level by heads of agencies, heads of state and diplomats.

The CCHN continues to investigate this link to bring more clarity and identify opportunities of synergy between the two types of negotiations.

Humanitarians working in displacement contexts negotiate with multiple counterparts, including governments, camp authorities, host communities and affected people themselves. Negotiations often take place in a politically charged environment where humanitarians operate in a legal grey zone.

Since 2020, the CCHN collects information on negotiations in displacement contexts to understand the challenges faced by humanitarians. We have developed contextual simulations, case studies and workshops to support humanitarian practitioners working in these contexts.

Negotiations around health care are distinctive. They involve not only armed actors, but patients and their families, and are often highly emotional. Humanitarian practitioners must also navigate complex public health systems while maintaining humanitarian principles.

At the request of humanitarian professionals, the CCHN launched its research on the topic of healthcare and negotiations in 2019. Since then, we have developed negotiation workshops and case studies tailored to health care contexts, as well as a learning module on how to de-escalate a tense situation.

Protection remains one of the most challenging humanitarian outcomes to negotiate. It’s considered a “sensitive, abstract, non-priority, and controversial” topic by most humanitarians. This lack of consensus is what makes protection negotiations particularly difficult.

Together with its community, the CCHN has identified common challenges and best practices when negotiating protection outcomes. Out of this research, we developed a negotiation workshop on protection, simulations and a thematic group.

Private military companies, state militaries, government forces and armed groups are some of the most common counterparts humanitarians negotiate with.

These actors, however diverse, follow their own values, beliefs, honour codes and hierarchies. Understanding what makes them tick is key to building trust and negotiating effectively.

At the CCHN, we conduct research on how to best engage with state- and non-state armed groups and make it available for the wider humanitarian community through webinars, thematic sessions and publications.

Negotiating for safe and durable access often feels unstructured and speculative. Working conditions for humanitarian agencies can be difficult, local authorities may not be open to collaboration, and the compromise humanitarian practitioners achieve may not be appropriate to respond to humanitarian needs. So, how do humanitarians gain safe access?

The CCHN conducts research on humanitarian access negotiations. Our work aims to understand how humanitarians gain trust, establish guarantees and evaluate the impact of compromises. We collect best practices and lessons learned and share them during our workshops and in our publications.

Since 2018, the CCHN has investigated the impact of diversity in humanitarian negotiations.

Humanitarian practitioners at different managerial levels have shared their views in how their identity and their counterpart’s identity influenced negotiations they have conducted.

Experiences vary, but most humanitarians explained that during negotiations they stress specific elements of their identity, skills, and background — playing up those that allow them to establish a rapport more easily with their counterparts, and downplaying those that are perceived to be detrimental.

To continue the conversation around diversity, we regularly organise informal discussions to collect experiences, impressions and insights and bring back our findings to the community.

The CCHN supports humanitarian agencies in expanding their internal negotiation capacity by providing bespoke learning and development support for all staff members.

This activity is for you if...

…you are looking to strengthen staff members’ negotiation skills within your organisation. …you would like your internal negotiation training to be informed by recent research and by the practice of hundreds of humanitarian professionals working around the globe.

What will you learn?

The CCHN can support your internal Learning department in the design of a specific curriculum (either ad-hoc or permanent), based on our methodology and in line with your agency’s current challenges and learning strategy.

The curriculum may take a peer-to-peer online/onsite format, or it may be an individual experience through e-learning materials and self-learning.

We provide the requesting agency with access to the complete CCHN learning methodology. Alternatively, we embed learning sessions based on our methodology in an existing learning programme delivered by the agency.

We also support your agency in responding to specific challenges through tailored learning content with a thematic or regional focus.

Who can sign up?

Any humanitarian agency or learning institution.

What language will we speak?

English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

How to sign up?

Please contact us to obtain more information and a tailored proposal.

We support humanitarian agencies or field teams by advising them on negotiating access and protection based on our analytical tools and policy work.

…you are looking for tailored guidance navigating a complex humanitarian scenario. …you wish to be supported in the application of CCHN’s strategic tools to your local challenges.

The CCHN provides different levels of advisory support. Level 1  –  Bilateral technical support . We provide guidance to community members and partner organisations through the expertise of CCHN staff and specialised consultants. Level 2  –  Specialised research and policy response . The CCHN’s Research and Development team will provide in-depth analysis and guidance, in collaboration with the Operations team and selected members of our community of practice. Level 3  –  Direct advisory support . You will be supported by a CCHN Mobile Advisory Team comprising our internal operational capacity as well as external resources.

Discover state-of-the-art negotiation tools, apply them to your own negotiations, and critically reflect with peers while contributing to the advancement of research.

… you would like to “deep dive” into CCHN negotiation tools learned during Peer Workshops, Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation Workshops or Thematic Sessions. … you are testing and practising these tools in your daily professional life and engaging in critical reflection about the tools and your practice with peers and with potential support of CCHN mentors. …you wish to be among the first to test and validate innovative negotiation tools that have been recently developed by CCHN researchers and community members. …you are available and committed to joining at least three Negotiation Lab sessions.

Negotiation Labs are critical discussions and exchanges among field practitioners around existing or pilot tools and models that have been recently elaborated by CCHN researchers or by community members in the context of Thematic Groups. Labs may be co-facilitated by CCHN mentors and other selected members of the CCHN community with extensive humanitarian experience and excellent knowledge of CCHN tools. You will have the opportunity to test the tools, apply them in your negotiations and provide feedback for further development, while also supporting ongoing research efforts.

You should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme.

What is the event format?

Negotiation Labs are organised in small groups, based on demand, over three to five sessions. They take place online and include three to five participants.

Will you receive a certificate?

You will not receive a certificate for this activity.

Negotiation Labs are organised on demand.

Join other humanitarian practitioners and mental health experts over the course of a few days and strengthen your capacity to prepare, manage and recover from high-pressure negotiations.

…you are seeking a safe and confidential space to discuss with other humanitarian professionals about the personal challenges and dilemmas of negotiating under pressure or in high-risk contexts. …you wish to explore the latest tools and methods to identify, manage and cope with stress in complex environments. …(for retreats aimed at training facilitators) you are willing to facilitate similar activities in the future and to organise additional ones in your region.

Retreats will provide you with a safe environment to exchange and new techniques to better prepare, manage, and recover from high-pressure situations. You will learn how to build your resilience and support colleagues facing personal, ethical, and professional dilemmas.

Among the topics tackled during retreats are the mental, emotional and physical dimensions of pressure management and self-care as well as the “before”, “during” and “after” of negotiating under pressure.

You should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme. Retreats are particularly suitable for community members with a strong interest in the CCHN’s mental health and pressure management activities.

Some retreats aim to train new facilitators, providing them with the tools to organise their own workshops. In this case, you should have completed a Training of Facilitators and have a strong interest in the topic of resilience in negotiation under pressure. You should have the commitment and resources to organise at least two sessions / series of sessions / a retreat in your local context within the 12 months following the training.

English, French or Spanish; additional languages may be available for self-organised workshops, depending on the context where the retreat takes place.

Retreats take place in person. They typically last five days (some parallel activities may take place online for the wider community). They feature group discussions and exercises.

Retreats include a maximum of 25 participants. In-person participants should be able to cover flight expenses and visa fees.

Yes. Those who attend the event in its entirety receive a Certificate of Completion.

Visit the special events calendar reserved for CCHN community members and sign up online for the next event.

Learn helpful techniques to become more resilient to pressure during high-stakes negotiations and provide similar support to the members of your team.

…you wish to learn techniques to better prepare, manage, and cope with high-pressure negotiations. …you feel a need to share and exchange confidentially about issues relating to mental health and self-care during negotiation processes. …you would like to become more resilient and prevent the negative impact of pressure in the future. …you are planning to use self-management tools to support your team members through complex negotiations.

The “Prepare for Pressure” programme will help you better understand your behaviour, master your emotions, and learn methods to reduce the impact of pressure during high-stakes negotiations.

The workshop is provided regularly in English, French and Spanish.

The workshops, facilitated by expert pressure management consultants, take place online and are based on the sharing of the participants’ experiences. They include breathing and other body exercises.

The programme is composed of four modules lasting 10 hours in total. Workshops are normally organised every two months. Each event features a maximum of 25 participants.

Create a one-on-one relationship with another humanitarian professional within the CCHN community. Learn from and with a colleague who understands your negotiation context in a safe space for exchange and reflection.

… you are currently negotiating at the frontlines of humanitarian action. … you are looking for ways to strengthen your negotiation skills while discussing your own experience. … you would like to connect with other professionals while stimulating reflection, critical thinking, exchange of ideas, and brainstorming.

Mentors expand their negotiation expertise while developing soft skills like active listening, critical thinking, and providing feedback.

Mentees gain access to a safe, confidential space of reflection and exchange with an experienced peer negotiator.

Both mentors and mentees should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme. Mentors join the programme upon invitation, depending on the skills and expertise they demonstrate. They attend an onboarding workshop before becoming listed in the CCHN mentors’ database. Mentees can join the programme by submitting an online application. The CCHN team provides them with guidance so they can fully take advantage of the mentoring relationship.

Training and onboarding materials are available in English, French and Spanish; however, the mentoring exchanges can take place in any language shared by the mentor and mentee. The mentors currently available in our database collectively speak more than 80 languages.

Before entering a mentoring relationship, mentors attend an onboarding workshop where they learn about mentoring practices and skills including structuring a mentoring relationship, active listening and providing feedback. They later practice these skills during role-play simulations. Mentees who apply gain access to the CCHN mentoring database, where they can autonomously select and contact the mentor(s) whose profile or expertise best matches their needs. The one-on-one relationship between a mentee and a mentor takes place privately and confidentially according to the participants’ preferences.

The CCHN organises “Mentoring Coffee” events twice per month. All participants are welcome to attend and discuss mentoring practices as a group.

The mentors who attend an onboarding workshop in its entirety receive a Certificate of Completion.

Mentees do not receive a certificate.

Contact us if you are interested in becoming a mentee.

Join an informal, regular gathering of humanitarian professionals to discuss a specific negotiation challenge and produce practical guidance for humanitarian colleagues.

…you’re looking to receive practical guidance from other frontline negotiators on your operational challenges. … you are committed to working with other community members towards developing concrete tools, guidelines, or frameworks that can support humanitarian practitioners. …you wish to discuss with experts and researchers, engage yourself in operational research, create space for discussion, and think outside the box to find creative solutions to shared challenges. … you can commit to attending periodic discussions around the group’s topic.

You should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme. You should be committed to developing a particular topic related to humanitarian negotiation.

English or any other language depending on the preference of the group.

Thematic group meetings take place online at regular intervals (typically every 4-6 weeks).

Thematic groups are informal exchanges, and you will not receive a certificate for this activity.

Informal but structured group discussions around a specific negotiation angle or context, either online or in person.

…you’re looking for an informal group exchange on a certain challenge relating to humanitarian negotiations. …you wish to rely on the support of a global network to help you plan and carry out future humanitarian negotiations.

Anyone who has previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme.

Arabic, English, French, or Spanish depending on the geographical focus of each event.

Peer circles may take place online or in connection with in-person events. Their length varies depending on the theme; online events typically last one to two hours. Each event has an average of 20 participants.

Peer circles are informal exchanges; you will not receive a certificate for this activity.

Test your negotiation skills in a realistic scenario and put your knowledge of the CCHN tools into practice.

…you would like to test your understanding of the negotiation tools and methods learned during previous workshops. …you are looking to strengthen your problem-solving skills through roleplay and better prepare for your next negotiation.

Arabic, English, French, or Spanish.

Simulations can take place either in person or online, with the use of virtual interactive boards. They are usually organised as a complement to a Peer Workshop or another learning activity.

A simulation lasts between two and four hours and features a maximum of 30 participants.

Become a CCHN workshop facilitator and help other humanitarian professionals strengthen their negotiation skills while benefitting from their collective expertise. Take your engagement in the CCHN Community of Practice to the next level and lead Peer Workshops for your team or for the wider humanitarian community, with support from the CCHN.

…you are interested in learning facilitation techniques that are applicable across different domains. …you would like to benefit from the expertise of frontline negotiators sharing their own experience and practice. …you wish to share your learning on humanitarian negotiation with members of your organisation or other professionals across the sector. … you are available to facilitate CCHN Peer Workshops both online and onsite.

You will learn facilitation techniques to guide other humanitarian professionals in applying the negotiation methodology developed by the CCHN.

The topics discussed include active listening, effective communication, storytelling and delivering presentations without making use of PowerPoint.

At the end of the training, you will be able to facilitate CCHN Peer Workshops, including by using case studies and simulation exercises.

Active CCHN facilitators gain access to dedicated learning and sharing opportunities, including the Facilitators Annual Meeting.

You should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop as an engaged participant. You should demonstrate a very good understanding of the CCHN negotiation tools and commitment to share your learning with other professionals.

Trainings of Facilitators are available both online and in person. Online workshops include four sessions lasting two hours each and welcome a maximum of 25 participants; they focus on building facilitation skills for online events.

In-person workshops last four full days and welcome a maximum of 15 participants. They are aimed at building skills to facilitate in-person events.

Once you complete the training, you will be invited to join Peer Workshops as a facilitator.

Yes. Those who attend the workshop in its entirety and consequently facilitate at least one Peer Workshop will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation Workshops offer participants an opportunity to consolidate their previous learning while acquiring advanced skills and tools to plan, manage or evaluate humanitarian negotiations. You will dive deeper into the behavioral aspects of negotiation through CCHN tools, putting them into practice in context-specific scenarios.

…you took stock of the negotiation tools and strategies discovered during a Peer Workshop and feel the need of more solid or in-depth grounding. … you are interested in advanced and more complex tools to plan and evaluate your negotiations and critically reflect about your current practice. … you wish to improve your negotiations and communication skills, experimenting and learning from mistakes. …you are a mid- or senior-level humanitarian professional carrying out regular negotiations at the frontlines.

Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation Workshops tackle different topics over four days:

• Day 1: Designing and understanding the mandate of the negotiation.
• Day 2: Understanding your counterpart.
• Day 3: Building trust and crafting an argument.
• Day 4: Designing a negotiation strategy (optional).

A negotiation simulation completes the workshop on the fourth day. The Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation Workshop is based on the sharing of the participants’ negotiation experience and simulations. You will be asked to (confidentially) share your negotiation stories with the group as a basis for joint discussion and exercises.

You should have previously attended a CCHN Peer Workshop or Executive Programme. You should also have several years of experience negotiating in the field.

English, Spanish and French – with the possibility of live interpretation into other languages.

Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation Workshops may take place online or in person. In-person workshops last for three or four full days, welcoming 16-20 participants. Online workshops can be organised on demand.

Applied Negotiation Workshops help humanitarian professionals develop additional skills to plan and carry out negotiations in specific contexts or around particularly challenging operational topics. Participants are introduced to context-tailored methods, tools and case-studies based on the latest CCHN research and on humanitarian practice.

… you’re seeking to consolidate your previous learning from attending a Peer Workshop. …you wish to acquire advanced skills and tools to plan and evaluate humanitarian negotiation and issue a mandate. …you are a mid- or senior-level humanitarian professional carrying out regular negotiations at the frontlines.

Applied Negotiation Workshops tackle different topics over three days:

• Day 1: Humanitarian negotiation as a personal endeavour and institutional process.
• Day 2: Humanitarian negotiation as a professional relationship: managing and leveraging risks.
• Day 3: Building trust and fostering legitimacy and strategic planning in complex environments.

In-person workshops last for three full days. They feature 16- 20 participants.

A successful negotiation does not only rely on the tools and strategies applied; it also depends on how the negotiator interacts with the counterpart. Learn how to develop negotiation skills including communication, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and conflict management.

… you wish to become more aware of how your behaviour and body cues may affect the outcome of a negotiation. …you’d like to discover additional approaches helping to build a relationship of trust with a counterpart.

Each workshop is divided into four sessions, respectively focusing on:

• Self-awareness (social and emotional intelligence, microexpression and emotional triggers, conflict handling styles).
• Leading the team into the negotiation process (decision making, delegation and empowerment, making appropriate decisions).
• Communicating and transaction (local codes, influencing, listening skills, linguistics, creating trust, intercultural communication).
• Roleplay and the behavioural aspects of a negotiation.

Soft skills workshops are usually delivered online over the course of two days; they include roleplay and simulations. They are often organised in connection with another in-person workshop. Each event welcomes an average of 20 participants.

A first step into your CCHN learning pathway and an opportunity to join a global community of humanitarian negotiators. Peer Workshops provide you with knowledge of fundamental negotiation tools which are essential to plan, carry out and evaluate field negotiations. This knowledge will come in handy as you expand your negotiation expertise and prepare for more advanced workshops. Completing a Peer Workshops is a pre-requisite to join the CCHN community of practice and to attend other CCHN learning activities.

…you want to gain a fundamental understanding of negotiation tools and methods, share your negotiation experience and learn from others, connect with frontline negotiators in your region or around a specific topic, and set the foundation to attend more advanced workshops in the future.

• Carrying out a context analysis to understand the environment in which the negotiation takes place.
• Developing a tactical plan and assembling the right negotiation team.
• Critically reflecting on your role in the negotiation and how your counterpart may perceive you.
• Identifying the actors that may influence your counterpart.
• Understanding your counterpart’s position, reasoning and values.
• Defining your own position, your institutional limitations and bottom lines.

You will also discover some basic techniques to de-escalate a high-tension situation. You will then put your new learning into practice during a simulation exercise at the end of the workshop.

You should be a humanitarian professional with a minimum of three years of negotiation experience in a field context. Peer Workshops are open to both national and international staff of humanitarian organisations.

Arabic, English, French, Spanish or Portuguese, depending on the regional focus of each workshop. Learning materials can be translated into additional languages.

Peer Workshops are based on the sharing of the participants’ negotiation experiences. You will be invited to (confidentially) share your own stories with the group as a basis for joint discussion and learning.

Online workshops include six sessions, each lasting two hours (10 hours in total), taking place over the course of either three or five days.

In-person workshops are held over three full days and may feature additional thematic sessions.

The CCHN will accept a maximum of 30 people for in-person workshops and a maximum of 50 people for online workshops.

Visit our public events calendar to discover which of our upcoming workshops is most relevant for you, then submit your application online.

An interactive and confidential safe space for humanitarian decision-makers and senior management to share complex negotiation experiences and better lead negotiation teams as they navigate relationships with difficult counterparts. Completing the Executive Programme allows access into the CCHN community of practice as well as other advanced learning opportunities.

…you are a decision-maker within a humanitarian agency (Country Representative, Country Director, Deputy Director or equivalent level) and act as the mandator in frontline negotiation processes. …you wish to strengthen your leadership in guiding your agency’s negotiation teams. …you wish to build advanced negotiation skills in complex environments while becoming part of a professional network of senior managers.

The Executive Programme makes use of practical exercises, peer exchanges and simulations to encourage learning around the following topics:

• Designing adequate strategies for complex humanitarian negotiations.
• Sorting information and coping with disinformation in complex environments.
• Leading high-stakes negotiations while managing competing agendas.
• Managing and leveraging risks in frontline negotiations.
• Facing difficult counterparts and regaining trust.
• Constructing a positive dialogue on controversial issues.
• Developing a collaborative approach and professional culture in complex environments.

Seasoned humanitarian managers currently covering a Country Director, Deputy Director, or equivalent role.

Executive Programme workshops are usually held in person over the course of three days. However, different formats may be available upon request. Each event welcomes an average of 30 participants.

…you want to take a closer look at a specific topic or challenge you face as part of your negotiation processes and receive practical guidance from other professionals.

Thematic sessions are based on CCHN research and on the sharing of the participants’ negotiation experiences. We select operational themes or contexts and tailor the session around them.

Some of the topics we tackled in previous thematic sessions include: negotiating humanitarian access and corridors in sensitive contexts, negotiating with the help of interpreters, managing mis- and disinformation in humanitarian contexts, negotiating with armed groups, negotiating in the context of protection or healthcare operations.

Arabic, English, French, or Spanish depending on the geographical focus or topic of each session.

Thematic sessions may take place either online or in person. Length varies depending on the theme discussed. Each session has an average of 30 participants.

No, you will not receive a certificate for this activity.

…you want to gain a fundamental understanding of negotiation tools and methods, share your negotiation experience and learn from others, connect with frontline negotiators in your region or around a specific topic, and set the foundation to attend more advanced workshops in the future.

Each event welcomes an average of 30 participants.

Visit our public events calendar to discover which of our upcoming workshops is most relevant for you, then submit your application online. frontline-negotiations.org/events [email protected]

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Home » Case Studies » Issues in Negotiation: How to Solve a Problem

Issues in Negotiation: How to Solve a Problem

This case study shows how two sides can find a successful negotiation resolution by tackling the issues in a creative and mutually beneficial way.

Negotiators can often fail to understand the real underlying issues of a problem. Meaning, these negotiators lack a key insight into what the basis for the negotiation really is. All too often, negotiators don’t train themselves to identify and frame the issues in negotiation to resolve. 

Negotiation skills courses often emphasize that if this crucial first step of the negotiation process is not addressed properly, it’s quite likely that the rest of the negotiation process will unravel. This is because of a lack of understanding of the core issues at the outset. 

Let’s look at an example case study which emphasizes the need to define and identify the problem. In this example, a large electronics firm faces significant problems in one of their subassemblies.

The Root Cause

The root of the problem revolved around certain types of fittings and pins. Some of these parts were bending and distorting from the operation of the machinery, leading to the issue of damaged units. Quality control then had to reject these units because of imperfections. These rejected components were put aside and then reworked later in the month.

This extra effort resulted in increased costs, as workers had to put in overtime to meet quotas. The issue was, these extra costs were not in the manufacturing budget. The manager of this subassembly line didn’t want to shoulder these overhead expenses, feeling it was not his line’s responsibility.

Likewise, the manager of the final assembly department also refused to accept the increased costs. He argued that the extra costs were a direct result of the poor work of the subassembly department. 

The subassembly department manager countered this argument. He claimed that the parts were in good condition before they left his department. He stated that the damage must have occurred in the final assembly manager’s department instead. Both sides had reached an impasse.

Some time passed before both sides could reach a resolution. What both sides were really seeking was to find a long-term solution to this issue. 

The Resolution

Through negotiation questions and open answers, both sides agreed that the subassembly workers had some slack time available each month. The damaged parts were returned in small batches from the final assembly plant. This was so that the subassembly workers could work on these parts during their slack periods. When both sides finally understood the problem, they were able to negotiate a solution that was acceptable to both sides.

Also, when looking at the problem in more minute detail, the managers learned that some of the staff in the final assembly plant may not have full training. These workers may have also been partially responsible for the incurred damage. To further their training, management sent these workers to the subassembly plant. There, the workers learned more about the daily happenings of that department.

The resulting solution combined the increased cost concerns of both departments. In addition, the managers were able to reduce overtime. The managers achieved this reduction by allocating staff when and where they were most needed. Finally, because of the up-to-date training, there were fewer damaged parts.

Only when both sides finally understood the problem were they able to negotiate a solution that was acceptable to both sides.

One important lesson to draw here is that the managers were only able to address the problem when they understood the real underlying issues driving their cost overruns. To share a perspective on how important understanding the real issues at stake is: the first day of all our negotiation skills training courses always includes gaining the necessary negotiation skills to uncover both your own and the other negotiator’s interests, plus their priority.

ok so in an instance your told to describe the real issue of the case study how will you go about it

An excellent example. Understand the importance of understanding the underlying issues. Good. It seems tthat it did not provide any negotiations discussion that resulted in action – instead after some time passed, the subassembly team worked on looking at the problem in detail. Shouldn't this be suggested, perhaps through brainstorming, after or at the initial mtg. What would happen if they didn't have any slack time. Then the problem will continue to happen. How did they resolve the budget issue?

I'm in the same class right now as Lika Madik. We had a live debate in class to determine the first actions that should have been taken in this case study. Fun Stuff

This article is a clear indication of the importance that in negotiations, the parties must focus on the issue or multiple issues and not on personalities or people and simply attempting to pass the buck to someone else. This approach lends itself to quick and workable solutions for both parties. Win-win.

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International Negotiation Harvard Case Solution & Analysis

Home >> Business Case Studies >> International Negotiation

International Negotiation

Explain how, and why, the President of Nigeria has recently aligned with Western powers.

The current situation of Nigeria is even worse than the Civil War. According to the President of the State, Goodluck Jonathan, “In a Civil War, you know which side the enemy comes from, but the challenge we face today is much more tough and complicated.” The statement by the Head of State depicts the crisis that the country is facing today because of the Boko Haram sect. Recent attacks by the group in various areas of North Nigeria on local Christian communities which is causing the exodus of Christians. Therefore, today’s situation is rather more complicated than ever before. The country along with corruption problems, lack of education, unemployment and other social issues have to face and tackle with Boko Haram who are locals of the country and have been somehow turned against the government and its rules and regulations. Basically, the group has transformed itself against the education of the West and wants to negate and restrict people from taking such education. The group basically means “Western education is sinful”, they are therefore trying to root out Western influence from the country by targeting schools, churches, security offices and government properties. The domestic terror group largely used to operate in the northern part of Nigeria before it actually expanded its reach with the help of another group namely al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, the terrorist network’s affiliate in West Africa. However, the recent kidnapping of more than 200 school girls in Nigeria have actually made the government and the President to acquire help from the Western world and United Nations to negotiate and fight against Boko Haram in order to free the school girls and to actually finish this group.

To actually fight against the Boko Haram and to free the school girls, Goodluck Jonathan has asked for help from the Western world. According to the Head of State, although the people involved in the terrorist group are locals but they are strongly supported by external powers and other religious groups operating in various parts of the world. Therefore he believes that unless United Nations and other NATO forces do not support Nigeria; they cannot actually fight and overcome the problem. During the recent conference in Paris Summit, Goodluck Jonathan made it clear to the world that the country needs support and help from all European countries against Boko Haram. Until recently, Goodluck Jonathan had decided to make a deal with Boko Haram where the two parties agreed on certain terms and conditions under which Boko Haram agreed to release school girls while the government agreed to free some militants of Boko Haram. However, the President scrapped from the deal at 11 th hour after meeting with Western community who were against making a deal with the group. In fact according to them, the only solution to this problem was to fight against them. Therefore Goodluck Jonathan refused the deal.

He has changed the decision because British Foreign Secretary, William Hague has offered support in all ways to the Nigerian Government against Boko Haram. In fact they have already met the Nigerian military to advice them about the future plans against the group. Other West countries have also shown their support to the Nigerian government which includes United States, Israel and France; therefore Goodluck Jonathan has requested the organization of extra troops to fortify the continuous military operations in the north east, which is a part of the nation. This movement comes in the wake of the provincial collusion to checkmate the exercises of Boko Haram in the locale and likewise reinforce the deliberations to recover the missing girls. In any case, by designating Boko Haram as being much more than an al-Qaeda substitute, President Jonathan has attempted to basically exonerate his ambushed legislature of its part in the spiraling clash. He will be dealing with issues of poor administration, systemic bureaucratic debasement and a badly restrained military, all of which ought to be fundamental to talks about Boko Haram and will now be covered in the shadow cast by the worldwide (and non-Nigerian) bogeyman.

At the solicitation of Nigeria's leader, Goodluck Jonathan and President of France, François Hollande, they sorted out the gathering which was likewise attended by the heads of state of Chad, Niger, Benin and Cameroon nations that fringe Nigeria and that have been suspicious from a very long time. The fringes among the nations are famously permeable and Boko Haram's followers have effortlessly slipped crosswise over them. "We have chosen to set up a general, local movement anticipate the medium and more term," Mr. Hollande said, noting that there will be "discernment coordination, imparting of data, centralization of means, fringe observation," in addition to different activities. The government has........................

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International Negotiation Case Study Solution

International negotiation financial analysis.

International Negotiation PESTEL Analysis

Swot analysis, porter's five forces analysis, international negotiation recommendations.

Finance & Accounting Case Studies

Marketing & management cases help, business case analyses.