Negotiation implies that parties try to reach an agreement that will satisfy at least some of the needs of each of the participating groups. According to analysis performed by an interdisciplinary research team at the national Biological Service, parties negotiating about hydropower licenses need seven conditions and behaviors. They are: need to negotiate; representativeness; power; technical clarity; commitment to implementation; urgency; playing by the rules. The results of our investigations--determined by analyzing six recent hydropower project licensing consultations--are presented below as a general guide to successful negotiating.