CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND
NEGOTIATION SKILLS IN
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMMES
Module Objectives:
At the end of the session, participants
should be able to:
handle conflict situations;
turn conflict situations into productive
rather than destructive ends; and
apply negotiation principles in conflict
management
When you hear the word . .
CONFLICT
What do you think and
what images come to you . . .
Good and Bad News about
Conflict
The bad news about conflict is that we
can’t escape it. Conflict is a part of
being human. Yet we don’t teach how
to deal with conflict. How many of you
have had a course in conflict resolution?
How many parents/couples get training
in dealing with conflict? Teachers?
Administrators? Community leaders?
……………Continued
The good news about conflict is that
no meaningful change takes place
in the absence of conflict. Conflict
can be a powerful motivator for
change. It is not difficult to learn
basics about conflict that help a lot
in making conflict constructive rather
than destructive.
The two Chinese characters displayed above together
mean “crisis”: one symbol is for danger and the other
opportunity.
Conflict can be understood the same way: both as a
danger and an opportunity. Thus, conflict itself is not
bad; it is what one does with it that makes a difference
(Coleman Raider International 1997)
DESTRUCTIVE CONFLICT
CONSTRUCTIVE
CONFLICT
Diverts energy from real
tasks
Destroys morale
Polarizes individuals &
groups
Deepens differences
Obstructs cooperative
action
Creates distrust & suspicion
Decreases productivity
Opens up an issue in
confronting manner
Develops clarification of an
issue
Improves problem solving
quality
Promotes effective
communication
Initiates growth
Increases productivity
How do I
prevent/handle/manage
conflicts?
What is Conflict Management
Conflict management is the principle that
all conflicts cannot necessarily be
resolved, but learning how to manage
conflicts can decrease the odds of
nonproductive escalation.
Conflict management involves acquiring
skills related to conflict resolution, selfawareness about conflict modes, conflict
communication skills, and establishing a
structure for management of conflict in
your environment.
Sources of conflict
Instrumental conflicts concern goals,
means, procedures and structures.
Conflicts of interest concern factors
that are important for the distribution of
ownership, competence, expertise, etc.
Personal conflicts are about questions
of identity and self-image, and important
aspects in relationships.
Conflict Handling Modes.
Competition: assertive and uncooperative position
and pursues his own concerns at the other person’s
expense.
Collaboration or problem solving: both assertive and
cooperative, working together to find a solution.
Compromising: is intermediate in both assertiveness
and cooperativeness. Find mutually acceptable
solutions, which partially satisfies both parties.
Accommodating
or
peaceful
co-existence:
unassertive and cooperative person, an individual
neglects his own concern for the other person.
Avoidance
or
withdrawal:
unassertive
and
uncooperative, does not address the conflict.
There is no universally right handling mode. All the five
modes are useful in some situations.
What factors can affect our
conflict modes?
Gender
Self concept
Expectations
Situation
Position
Practice
Communication skills
Life Experiences
Dealing With Conflict
Tools considered more effective in dealing with
conflict include
Conciliation: attempt by neutral third party to
communicate separately with disputing parties and
reach an agreement on a process for addressing
the dispute.
Negotiation: voluntary process in which parties
meet face to face to reach a mutually acceptable
resolution of the issues in a conflict.
Mediation: neutral third party, a mediator who
helps the parties to jointly reach agreement in a
negotiation process but has no power to enforce a
solution in the dispute.
Negotiation
Negotiation consists of discussions
between two or more parties around
specific issues for the purpose of reaching
a mutually satisfactory agreement.
Negotiation is one of the ways by which
conflict can be resolved and sometimes
referred to as compromising.
Negotiation is a skill that can be improved
with practice.
Community members must aim at a Win-Win
negotiation in order to achieve the aims of
their development programmes.
NEGOTIATE A SOLUTION
1. Identify and define conflict
2. Generate a number of possible
solutions together
3. Evaluate the alternative solutions
together
4. Decide on the best solutions together
Three types of conflict negotiation
WIN-LOSE- one person wins the battle and
one person looses (one party leaves
satisfied,
while
the
other
leaves
dissatisfied)
LOSE-LOSE- both parties lose (both
parties
leave
with
a
feeling
of
dissatisfaction)
WIN-WIN-both parties win (both parties
leave with a feeling of satisfaction)
STEPS IN CREATING A WIN-WIN
CONFLICT
1. Identify your problem and unmet needs.
2. Set a specific time to deal with conflict (one that
puts both parties in a positive climate).
3. Describe problem and needs.
4. Check back with other, in order to ensure
understanding.
5. Ask other what his or her needs are.
6. Paraphrase to make sure you understood.
7. Negotiate a solution.
8. Follow up on solution that was decided upon.
Conflict Mitigation
Community level
Stakeholders at the community level must
be involved in the planning and
implementation of natural resources use
strategies by Governments at all levels.
We must draw on their ideas, experiences,
value and capabilities as a driving force for
conflict mitigation.
Stakeholder Analysis
Identify key actors in the system and their
respective interest; and provide data on
existing patterns of interactions and tools in
decision
making.
Identification
and
documentation of local approaches to conflict
management
Conflict avoidance – e.g. reporting offenders
to acceptable local authorities, grazing
livestock
away
from
cropped
land,
consultation, etc.
Negotiation
by
recognizing
community
preference and preparedness to compromise
using the principles of consensus building.
Conclusion
Conflict is inevitable within a project or a
community but it is how we handle or
manage it that matters.
A leader needs to be able to
communicate and negotiate well so that
the conflict will be constructive rather
than destructive.
View Differences Of Opinions
As Opportunities To Learn
Rather Than Obstacles To
Overcome
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING