Following our approach, we start off by identifying what the needs and concerns of the stakeholders are. Only after understanding the different interests can we continue with enabling parties to find solutions that provide mutual gains (s. our approach). By having a neutral party in the process parties will be more able to engage in trust building, creating shared understanding and developing better communication.

It is essential that there is enough time for the parties to understand the context of the negotiation, recognize the key issues and needs, and to create various alternative solutions. This way the final agreement will be based on consensus reached by a process that was considered fair and inclusive.

Each process is unique and will be planned based on the needs and expectations of the stakeholders included. Negotiation process facilitated by Akordi includes five phases.

Figure 1: The process of assisted negotiation