Plan, conduct and evaluate a negotiation
Prepare evidence and objectives, listen to another party's interests, work towards an agreement and evaluate how the negotiation went.
Exam scope and assessment notes
Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise 0454, examinations 2026–2029. This lesson maps syllabus topic 5.1. These are original study examples, not Cambridge questions, pre-release case studies, coursework submissions or official marks. Use Cambridge's current pre-release material only as directed by your centre; prepared notes are not permitted in the written examination. Component 2 is assessed by the centre and externally moderated. Learners must plan and produce their own assessed project and evidence under centre rules; this site does not write, mark or certify coursework.
Before you begin
- Distinguish a stated fact from an estimate or assumption.
- Use the case details in the question before making a judgement.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What should you do after hearing an unfamiliar concern?
What you will learn
- Explain negotiation as a way to resolve disputes or agree action
- Set objectives and choose evidence
- Present a proposal and understand another point of view
- Review what worked and what to improve
Prepare before discussing
Negotiation can resolve a dispute, agree a course of action or bargain for individual or shared advantage. It aims to find an outcome that addresses the interests of those involved; the outcome is not simply the first proposal accepted.
Planning includes setting objectives, choosing evidence, identifying benefits and weaknesses, and preparing arguments and counter-arguments. Know which outcomes are essential, where there is flexibility and what alternative is acceptable if agreement is not reached.
Conduct and review the conversation
Set a constructive tone, present the proposal clearly, listen to the other person's point of view, summarise to check understanding and seek a workable agreement. Clear notes can record what each party agreed and any next actions.
Evaluate what went well and what could improve. Consider whether evidence was relevant, both perspectives were heard and the outcome met the stated objectives. In the coursework project, candidates plan and conduct a negotiation; practice here is not assessed evidence.
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise 0454 subject page
- Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise 0454 syllabus for 2024–2025 · Version 2
- Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise 0454 syllabus update for 2024–2025
- Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise 0454 syllabus for 2026 · Version 2
- Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise 0454 syllabus update for 2026
- Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise 0454 syllabus for 2027 · Version 2
- Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise 0454 syllabus update for 2027
- Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise 0454 syllabus for 2028 · Version 1
- Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise 0454 syllabus for 2029 · Version 1
Pause and explain
What is a useful way to assess a negotiation?
Worked example
A student enterprise wants to use a community hall, but the hall manager is concerned about cleaning and access. Prepare a negotiation approach.
Show the worked solution
- Set objectives for a suitable time and affordable fee, and identify a fallback venue.
- Bring attendance estimates, a cleaning plan and evidence of supervision.
- Ask about the manager's concerns, summarise them and agree responsibilities in writing if terms are accepted.
Answer The student enters with objectives and evidence, listens to the hall manager and proposes safeguards that address both parties' interests. A written summary makes responsibilities clear.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Your team needs a supplier to deliver later than usual. Prepare three items for a negotiation plan.
Give me a hint
Set a goal, bring evidence and anticipate the supplier's concern.
Compare my reasoning
- Set the requested delivery time and an acceptable alternative.
- Gather evidence about quantities, schedule and how late delivery affects the project.
- Anticipate supplier capacity or cost concerns and prepare a counter-proposal such as split delivery.
A plan should state the preferred and fallback delivery times, use the order schedule as evidence, and recognise that the supplier has capacity constraints. A split delivery could protect the team's deadline while keeping the supplier's costs manageable.
Look for these in your work
- Objective and fallback included
- Evidence is relevant
- Other party's interests considered
During a negotiation, the other party says your proposal would create extra work. Write a response that shows you understand and moves toward agreement.
Give me a hint
Acknowledge the concern, check it and adapt the proposal if evidence supports a change.
Compare my reasoning
- Restate the extra-work concern without dismissing it.
- Ask which task or timing creates the greatest burden.
- Offer a specific adjustment and confirm whether it resolves the issue.
I understand that the additional sorting would add work for your team. Is the main difficulty the volume or the delivery time? We could group items by type before delivery and confirm the schedule together. Would that address the concern?
Look for these in your work
- Concern accurately summarised
- Clarifying question asked
- Proposal is specific
After an agreement, both parties remember the delivery date differently. What should the team do now and change for next time?
Give me a hint
Clarify promptly, preserve the relationship and make future agreements explicit.
Compare my reasoning
- Contact the supplier promptly and compare notes without assigning blame.
- Confirm the workable date, responsibilities and any effect on the plan in writing.
- For future negotiations, summarise each point and ask both parties to confirm before closing.
The team should compare what was recorded, agree a feasible date and confirm responsibilities in writing. Next time it should summarise terms aloud and request confirmation before ending. This prevents ambiguity but cannot guarantee that a party will never face a later disruption.
Look for these in your work
- Immediate clarification proposed
- Written terms included
- Preventive review identified
Common mistakes
- Treating negotiation as winning at any cost
- Presenting claims without evidence
- Leaving an agreement vague about who will act and when
What can you explain now?
What belongs in negotiation planning?
Compare with the explanation
Objectives, evidence, proposal strengths and possible counter-arguments
Only a demand with no supporting information
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
What are the planning, conducting and measuring-success stages of a negotiation?
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.