Political parties and organizations need to have the capacity to both compete and cooperate. Dialogue among political parties usually takes place within democratic institutions such as national parliaments. Yet parliamentary dialogue alone cannot always meet the need for genuine exploration of consensus or compromise. Correspondingly, this Guide focuses on the need for more dynamic spaces of dialogue between political parties.

Building on case studies from different countries, the Guide will enable actors to: assess the general conditions for political dialogues; build trust; convene and organize dialogues; set their goals and prepare their agenda; facilitate their smooth evolution through various stages; ensure meaningful results and; last but not least, foster the implementation of the understandings and agreements reached.