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peace process which could be logistical, financial or through assistance to the parties of aprocess (see Box 2).Box 2: The Two Aspects of Mediation SupportWhilst both aspects of mediation support are closely interrelated, it is important to emphasisethat support to a field mission/mediation team might differ substantially from support to amediation process (in terms of mandate, required expertise, independence and attitude ofexpert, flexibility, timing and sequencing).We think that part of the challenge with the first piloting of the SBT can be understoodagainst the background of these two different aspects of mediation support. Because of thespecific situation surrounding the MSU s establishment (as described above), the MSUunderstood mediation support more as a service to the UNDPA s field missions. It is for thisreason that the MSU took a more reactive and careful approach based upon receiving aclear request from the client with an emphasis upon strong client ownership. According tothis rationale, any deployed expert was expected to provide first-class technical or processrelatedadvice to the envoy or SRSG but should not necessarily work outside of thisframework. In this perspective, the SBT member was to be a plumber for a mediationprocess, to support an architect (the chief mediator) in the building of peace. The members ofthe first SBT and the NRC, on the other hand, had a different understanding. Being publiclypromoted as a new and innovative tool of the UN, or as members of a new UN mediationteam, they were willing and motivated to pursue a very pro-active role to help set up, designand accompany UN mediation processes. Being labelled as a team, equipped with a teamleader, they were hoping to contribute to mediation processes with their combined andimpressive expertise. In the eyes of some SBT members lending mediation support, fieldmissions are often seen as bureaucratic and narrow-minded. The team was eager to be proactive,to be engaged in early preventive action or at an early stage of designing themediation process. This second narrative was influenced by press statements and ensuingarticles entitled UN Launches Experts Team to Mediate Crisis Talks 2 or Top UN MediationTeam Now Calls for Crises around the World. 3Although these descriptions are oversimplified, they help to understand why there was sucha substantial expectation gap between the first SBT (and the NRC) and the MSU. They alsoexplain why the NRC emphasises the need for a team which has a certain independencefrom the UN system whilst the MSU was, at least in the beginning, very keen to have clearcontrol over SBT activities as well as restricting them.2 www.chinaview.cn, 06.3.2008.3 www.un.org, 05.03.2008.11