Organisation 'quick scan' for effective humanitarian negotiations

Clingendael Academy has worked with staff from 200+ humanitarian organisations to build their individual skillset and capacity to effectively negotiate for humanitarian goals. Investing in individuals is extremely worthwhile, and often these individuals become change makers in their own organisations. They disseminate new insights gained from our courses to their colleagues and are often asked for their input in complicated negotiations.

After working with humanitarian organisations for almost 8 years, Clingendael learned a lot about how organisational support structures directly influence the effectiveness of humanitarian negotiators. 

How the quick scan works

In order to support organisations beyond the individual, we turned these nine components into a quick scan in which each component can be checked by an organisation to self-assess the extent to which they are in place. Through a structured, interactive session, representatives of a humanitarian organisation engage in a discussion with a member of the Clingendael team. Based on their reflections and assessment of their organisation, they can identify which of the components are well-developed, and which can be priorities for follow-up. Although these sessions are facilitated by Clingendael, the organisations themselves are in the drivers seat and identify for themselves what suits them best in their progress on developing their organisations' capacity to negotiate.

So far, the scan has been conducted by a mix of international and local organisations who work in different humanitarian contexts. Given the interactive nature of the scan in which the input of the representatives themselves is central, the scan is inherently flexible and allows for an open, but systemic reflection.

Participants appreciated the time to engage in a facilitated, structured exchange which identified areas for further attention in internal management discussions, or for further follow-up external training to strengthen working processes.

Clingendael Academy

Would you like to know how the Clingendael quick scan could enhance your organisation’s negotiation capacity? Reach out to [email protected] and have a look at our humanitarian training programme.