Socio-Political Background for Government Negotiation
Konsult Solutions partners with a branch of the U.S. military with the mission of providing not only a history and geographic survey of Sweden, but contemporary political and social landscape that could impact military personnel’s ability to negotiate contracts with the Swedish government.
Project Scope:
A branch of the U.S. military was anticipating negotiations with the Swedish government regarding procurement. However, the procurement officers wanted to be sure that they had an in-depth understanding of not only the complex history of Sweden and its varied geography but also had sufficient briefing on contemporary Swedish governmental positions on several political issues as well as familiarity with Swedish social customs as practiced in commercial transactions.
The workshop was an all-day seminar administered over web conferencing. The interactive sessions included presentations along with opportunities for Q&A and relevant discussion. At the request of the audience, the workshop emphasized relevant historical and current aspects of the Arctic region.
Results:
Based on immediate feedback in the chat discussion, the participants identified knowledge gaps about Swedish diversity and demographics that would potentially impact future decisions.
Participants also responded that they now felt equipped with essential background knowledge regarding Sweden and its geopolitics such that they were substantially better prepared to engage in productive negotiations with the Swedish government.
The procurement officers reported that they were ready to engage socially and commercially for sensitive business engagements where the expectation is that they arrive having completed full due diligence about the country.
“Christian’s doctorate in Scandinavian Languages and Literatures from the University of California, Berkeley as well as his years of experience living and teaching in Sweden, made him the ideal researcher to contact when we needed an expert on Swedish language and culture to brief the U.S. military on engaging with the Swedish government. Feedback revealed that many participants had little idea how different contemporary Swedish culture is from their previous understanding. Participants expressed gratitude to now be equipped with accurate information about the diversity of Swedish society and how this is represented geographically, which could play a vital role in government interactions. Thanks to Konsult Solutions, I can truly say that participants are far better prepared to engage with the cultural and political complexities of a country many Americans make faulty assumptions about. I’m so thankful for his invaluable insights!”