Process Design: A Tool to Navigate the Complexity of Peace Negotiations

The reasons for the development and outcomes of peace negotiations are a topic of debate among scholars and practitioners. Structural conditions of the conflict, such as the relative strength on the battlefield, the nature of the economies associated with the conflict, or the internal organization of the parties, among others, are often emphasized as key explanatory variables. However, this approach neglects the actual intricacies of peace talks once they are underway, and instead correlates negotiation outcomes with variables that are not actively part of them.

This policy brief delves on this topic and presents the main discussion and findings of a larger research project conducted by the author, part of which is in the article Uncertain Readiness. Process Design and Complexity Management in Peace Negotiations recently published in the International Studies Review, as well as in forthcoming papers.