“Negotiation on the Frontlines” is an experiential course designed to equip participants with essential negotiation skills and tools needed to navigate complex and adversarial environments. Participants will gain a robust understanding of crisis management approaches, strategic frameworks for high-stake dialogues, and tactical tools for the planning of effective negotiation in complex environments.
The course is structured over two weeks, combining theoretical presentations, practical exercises and simulations based on real-world scenarios such as public health crises, protection challenges, irregular migration and climate-induced disasters.
Additionally, students will have the opportunity to engage in group work with experienced practitioners to apply and reflect on their learning, culminating in a final reflection paper. The course aims to enhance participants’ abilities to build trust, manage adversarial relationships, and lead constructive engagements in high-intensity situations.
At the end of the course, you will be able to:
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Around 20-25 hours of work each week, including:
- Asynchronous self-study activities (such as case studies, videos, recorded slideshows, readings, etc.)
- Group activities and dialogue with experienced practitioners
Synchronous live sessions and simulations
The course is divided in 10 modules over two weeks:
- Engaging with Difficult Counterparts
- Negotiation Models in Policy Environment
- Context Analysis and Search for Common Shared Space
- Stakeholder mapping and influence exercises
- Value Proposition and Scenario Development
- Building trust and fostering legitimacy
- De-escalation techniques in adversarial relationships
- Mandate Design
- Risk management exercises
- Enhancing Negotiation Success
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- A University qualification (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent)
- At least three years of relevant professional experience
- Excellent command of English
More information about the admission process is available on our application page.
“This training has allowed me to process my thoughts and to put words on situations and experiences which I kind of felt “stuck with” at this point in my carrier, without being able to pinpoint what made me uncomfortable. The reflexive process is too often absent from our daily practice, busy as we are running around trying to “fix things” and I am very grateful to have had that opportunity.”
Maëlle, course participant, November 2020
“On the one hand, what I learned from this training can be used not only externally with interlocutors of governments or non-state armed actors by getting access to a community in need of assistance and/or protection or to evaluate those needs and as part of this negotiation (but not as the main aim) to obtain security guarantees for the staff that will deliver aid or/and work alongside the community. On the other hand, it can be used internally to have the support of key stakeholders of my organisation that are important for one intervention as sometimes it is more difficult to gather a consensus in house. Finally, it can also be used when negotiating with other humanitarian or development organisations.”
Thaïs, course participant, November 2020
“I found both group and individual exercises very enlightening about negotiation techniques, approaches and don’ts of humanitarian negotiations. It was great to discuss during the group work on several elements which to me were obvious, but other members had a completely different vision and perspective. Several elements of this part will be used in my team’s and my future negotiations”.
Alexandros, course participant, November 2020