Negotiation is the fundamental activity which underpins our professional lives… and many other parts of our lives. It is a mindset which colours all our actions, not just those specific situations we call 'negotiations'. Negotiating is not a one-off activity or a finite set of skills. It is an on-going challenge, which benefits from continual practice, analysis and review. From time to time, it needs expert coaching to raise it to a new level. To state the obvious, negotiating is important.

This UNITAR Negotiation Skills online course is a foundation course developed to help professionals in full time work. It revisits important and time tested concepts of negotiation, which form the building blocks for skilled negotiators. The skills and techniques which are exposed in this online course are designed to help officials from all sectors, including public, private, civil society and the academia. This course forms part of a series of Negotiation Training courses that UNITAR is developing for a worldwide audience of officials and professionals. An important component of this course is a hands-on online Simulation Exercise which will give participants an international negotiation perspective through peer-to-peer exchanges under the guidance of an expert.

Lastly, this course has been developed on the premise that there is no one right way to negotiate, only systematic thinking helps along with the use of an analytical framework to set strategy for negotiating case-by-case.

This foundation course is designed for professionals from government, public finance, investment, trade, corporate finance, project management, treasury, as well as academic circles. Finance professionals, lawyers and accountants alike will benefit from this course. Neophytes will learn time-tested negotiation frameworks and seasoned negotiators will be able to re-visit core concepts and techniques.
 

This course will help you:

• Create greater value from both internal and external negotiations.
  
• Understand and apply the underlying concept of negotiation theory to your advantage.
  
• Build more productive relationships with your counterparts.
  
• Improve collaboration internally with colleagues.
  
• Increase awareness of the pervasiveness of negotiation.
  

Course Structure

This online course will involve a mix of self-study and online interaction culminating in an online Simulation Exercise. Throughout the duration of the course, participants will go through theoretical and conceptual material prepared by UNITAR and will have an opportunity to relate it to real-life situations through online discussions and peer-to-peer interaction. There will be a quiz/assignment at the end of the course which is a requirement for obtaining a course certificate.
 
Course Outline

This course will comprise of the following modules, each covering a one-week period.

Module #1: Overview of the Theory of Negotiation
(Definitions; basic elements of negotiation; theories of negotiation; international negotiations; advantage of a systematic approach)

Module #2: The Negotiation Cycle and related Tips
(Analyze the Issue; Set your Aims; Prepare; Plan; Negotiate; Review)

Module #3: Practical techniques for improving Negotiation
(Guidelines for preparation; tools for difficult problems; dealing with complex negotiations; understanding the other side; building negotiating power)

Module #4: Online Simulation Negotiation Exercise
(Designation of Groups/Teams/Rapporteurs by UNITAR; Outline of Negotiation Scenario provided by UNITAR; Pre-Negotiation Team preparation; Negotiation using UNITAR's online discussion facility; Posting of Negotiation Outcome by Rapporteurs)
 

UNITAR online courses attempt to create a networked learning environment, in which participants have the flexibility to learn at their own convenience and pace but also are able to interact with peers and experts through the discussion board facility.

This online course will be conducted in the English language.
 

This course is designed as an online course in which participants will be primarily responsible for their own learning. Each lesson will consist of the following components:

1) Basic Reading Materials (Compulsory Reading Materials): these materials are intended to educate the participants about the basic concepts and principles applicable to the subject-matter of the lesson. It will include, where appropriate, sample materials. These materials will constitute the required reading materials for the lesson

2) Advanced Reading Materials (Optional Reading Materials): this will consist of optional reading materials for participants who wish to learn more about the topic than what is covered in the lesson.

3) External Links: This will refer the interested participants to additional books, articles, documents, and websites that deal with the issues raised in the lesson.

4) Glossary: A glossary of terms tailored to the online course will be provided to the participants and act as a learning support during the entire course.

5) Quizzes: At the end of each lesson there will be a set of quizzes for participants to answer. These quizzes are designed to test the participant's understanding of the lesson. Participants are required to pass each quiz and obtain at least 80% or more passing grade in order to be eligible for a certificate. All quizzes will need to be taken online.

6) Community Discussion Board: There will be a community discussion board available on which participants can post questions or comments that can be seen by the instructor and the other participants. This discussion board will be moderated by the course director and UNITAR. Structured discussion strings will be posted on a weekly basis.

All successful participants will be eligible to a certificate after completion of this online course.