Negotiation and conflict analysis

The value of a "Negotiation and Conflict Analysis" course in a Business-Analysis & IT Governance programme IT projects require a variety of skills and the intervention and coordination of multiple actors. This organisational differentiation of project stakeholders, whether vertical (or hierarchical), horizontal (or social division of labour), or contractual in the case of external development, has an impact on the potential emergence of disagreements. Indeed, depending on their position, these actors have access to different information and are therefore led to interpret the problems posed in different ways, and to envisage solutions that may be divergent. Organisational differentiation is therefore a major potential source of conflict. The execution of the different tasks also implies a strong interdependence of the actors, which can sometimes give rise to perceptions of obstructive manoeuvres, real or imagined; this is the case, for example, when computer scientists complain about their difficulty in obtaining information from the from users. In addition, sharing limited resources can lead to incompatible individual goals and encourage rivalries. This is often the case between different IT teams in the use of test equipment or in the allocation of individuals to projects. Finally, IT projects are in essence a breeding ground for dissension in companies, not only because they concern the information systems of organisations and the possession of information resources can constitute a power issue, but also because these projects often bring about major organisational changes. Thus the organisational differentiation, the sharing of limited resources, the interdependence of tasks that characterise projects, and the very nature of computerisation, lead to perceptions of incompatibility and hindrance, and these perceptions often result in conflict situations. The Business Analyst, because of his position as an interface between the business and the IT development, is very often confronted with these contradictory and conflicting logics. This course should enable him/her to address these issues in an adequate and efficient way.