Rules

From Peacebuilding

Activity: Get that Budget! A Three-party Negotiation

Handout 2 - Rules

Contents 1 1. One agency, one colour. 2 2. Coloured meeting cards. 3 3. Bilateral and trilateral meetings. 4 4. What goes in the box stays in the box. 5 5. White deal cards. 6 6. The actual meetings. 7 7. No exchange beyond meetings.

1. One agency, one colour.

Each agency corresponds to a colour:

• RDAF is red

• FAVOW is blue

• MOSD is green.

2. Coloured meeting cards.

Each agency has six meeting cards, three per colour.

More specifically:

• RDAF is given three blue meeting cards to meet with FAVOW and three green meeting cards to meet with MOSD

• FAVOW is given three red meeting cards to meet with RDAF and three green meeting cards to meet with MOSD

• MOSD is given three red meeting cards to meet with RDAF and three blue meeting cards to meet with FAVOW

Meeting cards are used to request a meeting and to agree to have a meeting.

3. Bilateral and trilateral meetings.

When you want to meet another party, you must place a meeting card in the box. If the other party agrees to meet you, they must respond by placing a meeting card in the box.

For example, if RDAF wants to meet FAVOW they put a blue card in the box; if FAVOW agrees to meet them they put a red card in the box.

If RDAF wants to meet both the other parties, they must put a blue and a green card in the box. FAVOW agrees by putting a red and a green card in the box, and MOSD agrees with a blue and a green one.

4. What goes in the box stays in the box.

When one party asks to meet another party (or parties) and is refused, the negotiation card is considered “played”.

It stays in the box and cannot be recovered. This happens in both bilateral and trilateral negotiations.

5. White deal cards.

In addition, each agency is given two white deal cards. The deal card is used when an agency feels it has reached an agreement with one (or both) parties. The corresponding deal card from the other agency must follow.

For example, if RDAF believes it has reached an agreement with FAVOW, they must write the deal on a deal card and put it in the box. FAVOW must follow with a corresponding deal card, reporting the deal with RDAF.

If that doesn’t happen, RDAF has lost a deal card. Another example: if RDAF believes it has reached an agreement with both FAVOW and MOSD, it must write the agreement on a deal card and put it in the box; FAVOW and MOSD must follow with their deal cards if the deal to be valid.

If the content on the deal cards in the box differs, there is no agreement.

6. The actual meetings.

After agreeing to meet each other, the agencies can actually meet.

Bilateral meetings last a maximum of two minutes.

Trilateral meetings last a maximum of three minutes.

7. No exchange beyond meetings.

A meeting is the only way an agency can exchange information with another agency. No other form of exchange is permitted other than agreed-upon meetings.

How to divide the remaining budget. After the deal is made, how is the remaining budget divided? (Note: unless the deal is between the three agencies, there is always a remaining budget be distributed.) This is done through a face-to-face meeting between the three agencies, lasting a maximum of five minutes.

The remaining budget is allocated only if all three agencies vote to accept the agreement. Otherwise, the remaining budget is not allocated.