Mediation in Long-Term Planning

The aim in many conflict situations is to move from a situation in which the goals of the contending parties are mutually incompatible to one in which a compromise solution acceptable to all can be found. This is usually achieved through a series of concessions on both sides. This paper demonstrates how the concession-making process can be structured by a mediator using an interactive multiple-criteria programming system (DIDASS) based on aspiration point and achievement function methodology and linked to a model of the system under study. The use of the approach is illustrated by simulated negotiations concerning the long-term development of the Austrian energy system.