Education and Training Center/International

Negotiation and Diplomatic Skills Training, OSCE Presence in Albania

December 5-7, 2005

Ted Feifer of the Professional Training Program led this second workshop on negotiation and diplomatic skills for OSCE mission staff. There were 17 participants coming from headquarters and four field stations. Their responsibilities included parliamentary liaison, economics/ the environment, human rights, elections and administration and support.

Workshop objectives were to improve participants´ use of analysis and planning; strengthen their skills as communicators, negotiators and third parties; and share experiences and lessons learned in the prevention, management and resolution of conflict.

Focus was placed on understanding positions and interests in negotiations, and defining priorities and goals as part of an effective problem-solving approach. The training was almost entirely exercise-based, as participants confronted challenges in communication, working with or playing the role of a third party, and carrying out all the sequences of problem solving in a complex multiparty simulation.

Participants assessed the workshop as "highly useful," noting the relevance of the training to the work they do. Many appreciated the practical nature of the course, containing tools that they could (and would) apply on a daily bases.