Early discussions about a project can reveal very different expectations. For a Canadian business or a project sponsor in West Africa, defining a shared approach helps give those discussions a clear direction.
This preparation may concern a business opportunity, a response to a tender or participation in an industrial project. It begins with the role each party intends to play.
Clarify the shared objective
Seeking a customer, finding a supplier, contributing to a project and building a partnership call for different approaches. Stating the objective helps identify the right people to involve and the first questions to address.
It also means understanding each party’s expectations: what they wish to contribute, what they are looking for and which conditions they want to examine before moving forward.
Organize information and contributions
The available information needs to be assessed against the decisions to be made. What is already documented? What still needs to be verified? Which questions require input from local counsel or a specialist?
This organization provides a framework for commercial, legal, financial and technical contributions. Questions of local law and specialized analysis are entrusted to qualified professionals.
Define a concrete next step
An initiative can move forward in stages: gathering information, preparing a meeting, reviewing tender documents or negotiating an initial agreement. Each stage benefits from an agreed objective, assigned responsibilities and a deadline.
The question to keep in mind: what do the parties need in order to make the next decision together?