Neutrality of the intermediaries allows all parties to maintain the appearance of being tough, while still searching for integrative outcomes. The intermediary first develops protocols and sets an agenda through private discussion with each party involved, and then gathers them in a group discussion. When a complex scientific issue arises in conflict resolution, a team of intermediaries may be needed. This could involve one with technical background and another with management skills. This process manages the consensus-building in the community, but it is time consuming and costly.
Facilitation is one of the simplest forms of assisted negotiation.
The facilitator focuses on one problem at a time, arranging meeting places and times agreed upon between the various parties. The main objective is to monitor the quality of dialogue, while intervening with questions designed to enhance understanding. The main drawback to facilitation is that it focuses on limited scope problems. Being called in for a particular problem, the facilitator is only utilized when needed, which limits the amount of time for proper analysis. In general, a facilitator is doing crisis management to avoid the impasse.