The goal of collaborative modelling is to support negotiations for policy or decision support. As noted previously, decision making processes concerning water resources invariably involve complex problems encompassing disputes among the stakeholders engaged. As a result, some degree of negotiation will be necessary to resolve these conflicts and achieve cooperation. The information provided should directly address the issues of concern and provide feedback on those impacts of importance to stakeholders. To ensure that the different stakeholders can all interpret modelling results, different visualization and communication interfaces may be required. Similarly, different negotiation processes may need to be employed. Collaborative modelling is well-suited to interest-based negotiations, where agreement is first reached about the facts (and uncertainties) prior to negotiations over any competing stakeholder interests.
