Planning and Executing Negotiations for the Joint Force Commander
Abstract
More often than not, negotiations have been a critical component of war termination and mission success. In the past, military officers played a role in negotiations either as negotiators or as advisors to principal negotiators. It appears that this trend will continue. For example, General Schwarzkopf led the coalition negotiation team during the post Operation DESERT STORM cease fire talks and General Zinni participated in negotiations in Haiti and Somalia. Despite these historical precedents, there is no doctrine to guide the Joint Force Commander (JFC) or other military officers in negotiations. Furthermore, training in negotiations and negotiating techniques are not part of an officer's professional military education. As a result, military officers are often thrust into the role of negotiator or mediator without proper preparation. The purpose of this paper is to provide military officers, in general, and JFCs, in particular, with concrete recommendations and sound considerations for the conduct of negotiations. The principles set forth in this paper are applicable to the full spectrum of negotiations, from the "mini negotiations during peacekeeping operations to cease fire or armistice talks. This paper presents an eleven step negotiation planning process with suggested tactics, techniques, and procedures for conducting negotiations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 12, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA348733
Entities
People
- Keil R. Gentry
Organizations
- Naval War College