The Peer Workshop Program serves as a gateway to a global community of frontline negotiators. At each workshop, participants connect with experienced peers from other leading humanitarian organizations from across their region and beyond. More than 1,200 field practitioners have joined the Program since 2017.
The Program aims to develop field practitioners’ capacity to analyze the humanitarian negotiation environment they work in and improve their ability to plan multi-stakeholder negotiation processes. It introduces participants to practical negotiation tools and methods elaborated on the basis of the latest empirical research conducted by the CCHN.
By joining this community, field practitioners get exclusive access to specialized CCHN activities, such the Training of Facilitators, Specialized Sessions and the Peer Circles Program. These more advanced activities regularly take place in regional hubs around the world.
Objectives
The Peer Workshop Program draws heavily on the CCHN Field Manual on Frontline Humanitarian Negotiation. The workshop sessions focus on:
– Strategic planning and critical thinking in complex environments
– Context analysis and network assessment
– Analysis of interests and motives of the counterpart
– Setting objectives and priorities in frontline negotiations
– Defining scenarios and red lines in a negotiation
– Planning and evaluating negotiation processes
The Program is based on experience-based learning. It requires a conscious effort of participants to have informal exchanges on their own negotiation experiences. Through sharing experience, participants learn from the successes and failures of others. They are also introduced to effective ways to support their peers in a negotiation process.
The Program in Numbers
1200
Members
90
Organizations
40
Peer Workshops since 2017
field staff
6+ years of field experience
Use or plan to use CCHN negotiation methodology
Would Recommend the Program to Colleagues
234
Participants
159
Participants
143
Participants
85
Participants
Myanmar
99
Participants
South Sudan
66
Participants
Afghanistan
64
Participants
Iraq
63
Participants
Gateway to a Global Community
The Peer Workshop Program serves as a gateway to a global community of frontline negotiators. More than 1,200 field practitioners have already joined the Program and stayed connected through CCHN Connect – a community-powered forum on humanitarian negotiation.
Discussing negotiations with colleagues helped me to identify where I did well and where I could do things differently next time. In a way, sharing experiences with colleagues is like reading a book.
The peer workshop was very beneficial and successful, in my view, in presenting us with tools and methods to organise our thought process in planning and implementing negotiations. Meeting colleagues from different organisations with different experiences was very insightful.
The interactions with experienced peers were exceptional. I learned a lot from experiences that peers shared from their practice in different contexts. This will definitely enhance my legitimacy as a negotiator.
I wish I had attended a workshop or training like this when I started out in the humanitarian sector. It brought together many concepts and everyday practices I had some familiarity with but had never really put into any coherent framework.
Selection Criteria
This Peer Workshop Program is designed to serve the needs of humanitarian professionals with a minimum of 3 years of field experience. It is open to national and international staff of humanitarian organizations.
The Program provides a safe space for the sharing of negotiation experiences and peer learning. Before joining a workshop, all participans are expected to prepare a case study that will help them structure their analysis of a challenging humanitarian negotiation they faced in the past. These case studies then serve as the basis of the peer discussions during the workshop days.
Practical Details
A cost-recovery fee of USD 360 is required from all participants as to ensure the sustainability of the Peer Workshop Program. This fee covers all the instruction, material, conference rooms, lunches and coffee breaks during a Peer Workshop. If the workshop venue and catering is provided by one of CCHN’s Strategic Partners, the cost-recovery fee may be waived. Whether or not this applies to a specific workshop is specified on the event page. All participants who complete a Peer Workshop receive a Certificate of Participation.
How to Apply
Field practitioners can join the Program by applying for one of the Peer Workshops which are regularly held in regional hubs and operational contexts around the world. Application deadlines are indicated on the event pages.
The CCHN collaborates closely with its five Strategic Partners (ICRC, UNHCR, MSF, WFP, HD) to facilitate the participation of national and international staff in this Program. In case of questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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