Phase four is the negotiation phase. In the official arena, negotiators attempt to generate a written agreement which presents a formal solution to the conflict at hand. The public arena addresses relationships more directly in this phase. In the fifth phase citizens and officials act cooperatively to implement their agreements. Individuals begin to taking the interacting steps toward changed relationships which had been developed over the course of the dialogue.
Governments act to implement the formal terms agreed to during negotiations.
Saunders points out that the official process deals primarily with formal issues, such as changing judicial and physical arrangements. Dialogue in the public arena focuses primarily on changing human relationships. Since the goal of the peace process is to improve violently conflicting relationships, public participation is crucial to the success of the overall peace process.