We negotiate all the time in both personal and professional capacities. To improve the outcomes and achieve our goals, it is vital to reflect on the process of negotiation and develop appropriate negotiation skills.
This practical, interactive course equips participants with the skills to successfully prepare, undertake, and conclude negotiations in formal and informal settings with government and non-government actors. The first two weeks set the stage by introducing the concept and principles of negotiation. The following two weeks go into greater detail regarding key skills supported by case studies and practical learning activities. The final two weeks of the course put these skills to practice in an online simulation exercise. Participants in this course will receive individual feedback and guidance from the course facilitator to help them develop their knowledge and skills.
Rather than going into the theoretical considerations of negotiation such as game theory or group decision-making theory, the course focuses on key skills that are valuable for a variety of negotiations.
The course also addresses questions around conducting negotiations online. With the spread of COVID-19, many negotiations had to move from the physical to the virtual world and in the process a plethora of additional considerations and challenges emerged. We address these in the course and as part of the online simulation exercise, which will include the use of various tools for online negotiation.
This course is relevant for diplomats, staff of international organisations, and also people working in fields of non-traditional diplomacy, such as education diplomacy, health diplomacy, Internet Governance, humanitarian diplomacy, and development diplomacy, which require the use of diplomatic skills to build bridges across sectors, diverse actors, and borders.
The greatest virtue of the course is its teaching methodology, which promoted a fruitful self-reflection on the role of the negotiator in relation to different negotiation techniques and tools. This self-reflection, based on past professional negotiation experiences and on the course’s activities, helped me to systematise some relevant lessons about negotiations.
– Mr Julián Vazeilles, Embassy Secretary, Embassy of Argentina, Brazil
The course taught me that everyone is a negotiator at one time or another. However, when one engages in diplomacy to advance education, health, internet governance, and other sectors, distinctive types of negotiations, as well as certain specifics, must be adhered to for the process to be successful. This course helps in understanding these specifics.
– Ms Elizabeth Akinyi Owino, Lecturer, Department of Educational Psychology, Moi University, Kenya
One of the focus areas of the course, which I appreciated very much, is the power of reframing as a very productive tool to shift or re-adjust a non-working strategy.
– Mr Jorge Hernandez Saab, Diplomatic Attaché, Embassy of Mexico, Saudi Arabia
It was my first time studying about negotiations and the course really provided the main concepts and a solid foundation. Each unit is very well structured and they contain very interesting reading suggestions for deepening knowledge on each topic. I really enjoyed the course.
– Ms Natalia Jiménez Alegría, Second Secretary, Embassy of Mexico, USA
– Ms Andrea Becerra Pimentel, Law Student, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Mexico
What will you learn?
How will you learn?
In this course you will interact intensively in discussions with classmates and lecturers from around the world. You will receive guidance, and personalised feedback on your classwork, from the course team.
How long will you learn?
The course lasts for 8 weeks:
The course is aimed at participants from government and non-government sectors engaged or interested in various fields of diplomacy. Applications from relevant government ministries, the business sector, and civil society will be welcome.
The following groups may find the course particularly relevant:
The course consists of 8 modules:
Module 1. Course introduction and orientation to online learning; assessment of individual experience in negotiation activities.
Module 2. Basics I: Types and stages of negotiation
Module 3. Basics II: The role of power and empathy in negotiation
Module 4. Key skills I: Language, creativity, and navigating the space between ‘yes’ and ‘no’
Module 5. Key skills II: Framing, managing processes, concessions, packaging, follow-up
Modules 6 and 7. Simulation exercise
Module 8. Final assignment (written reflections - up to 1000 words)
DiploFoundation (attn Tanja Nikolic)
Anutruf, Ground Floor, Hriereb Street Msida, MSD 1675, Malta
The Negotiation Skills online course is based on a collaborative learning approach, involving a high level of interaction over a period of 8 weeks. Reading materials and the necessary tools for online interaction are provided in a virtual classroom. Course materials present the theory and principles of negotiation, using illustrative examples and small case studies. Each week, during weeks 2 to 5, participants study and discuss course materials and complete additional online activities, some of which involve working on pairs or small groups. Weeks 6 and 7 of the course are dedicated to an interactive simulation exercise, providing participants with the opportunity to put course learning into practice.
At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet to discuss the topic of the week. To complete the course successfully, this course requires a minimum of 5 to 7 hours of study time per week.
Participants who successfully complete the course receive a certificate issued by Diplo, which can be printed or shared electronically.
Applicants for this course must have:
The course fee is €700 per participant, due upon acceptance into the course.
Note: Diplo alumni can benefit from a 15% discount on the fee for this course.
A limited number of partial scholarships are available for diplomats and others working in international relations from developing countries. Discounts are available for more than one participant from the same institution.
Fill out the short form to start your application process for this course. You will receive an instruction email on how to continue.
Applying for financial assistance? Please indicate this on the application form, upload your CV, and a motivation statement that should include:
Please note that financial assistance from DiploFoundation is available only to applicants from developing countries!
Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available in the course.
Diplo reserves the right to cancel this course if enrolment is insufficient. In case of cancellation, Diplo will notify applicants shortly after the application deadline. Applicants who have paid an application fee may apply this fee towards another course or receive a refund.
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