What other skills are needed for interactions with civic partners in health?

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5. INTRODUCTION
Strengthening civil-state interactions

Identifying the civic organisations to work with

Working with communities
Supporting information exchange

Other skills
Checking our progress

Interactive exercise

Many processes involving civil society demand the skills of productive negotiation

Interacting with civil networks means advancing, reconciling and arbitrating between different interests to reach consensus positions. Debates on contested issues need rules through which negotiations, arbitration, consensus and agreement to adopt majority positions are effected.

Many procedural issues need to be considered. They may appear foreign to state health planners. However, as market systems and public accountability demands bring new players to the table, new skills become necessary. Poor negotiating can lead those involved to seek parallel remedies, making it difficult to build coordinated health systems.