Before initiating any training programme, the electoral manager needs to identify what training is required. This involves both looking at the processes to be carried out and the people who will be undertaking them. The electoral manager should ensure that each staff member has the training and support they need to perform the tasks allocated. A proper training program will be best identified through staff performance and review interviews.
Training programmes for permanent staff need to reflect the career development potential of those staff and meet their training needs, which may vary in substance and content depending on the tasks of the EMB. Generally, a higher and continuing level of training is required for permanent staff, one that should be implemented progressively as the personnel become more involved in the overall electoral process and in the complex activity areas. No staff manager at a senior level will ever get to the point where they know everything there is to know about the process – elections are highly complex, and learning is a life-long activity.
The situation with temporary staff is usually simpler. Temporary personnel are likely to undertake a specific electoral task, such as vote counting or working at a polling site, so training can be targeted to this task, and the timing of the training can be fixed so as to ensure staff are prepared for the electoral period. The performance appraisal process should identify the overall training needs including the specialist electoral areas and the non-specialist ones. It should then prioritise these and establish a programme to meet the personnel and the identified skill shortages.
It is just as important to develop targeted training programs for senior staff as it is for new staff members. If possible, training should include political parties, candidates, and other stakeholders, since it will make training both more cost-effective and more transparent. In many countries, the EMB will provide training for candidates and prepare manuals for them. It is in everyone’s interests that candidates too know what is and is not permitted and what responsibilities fall on them.
Consistency
Training programmes also need to be prepared to cover changes in legislation or working practices and the introduction of new technology or processes. Electoral processes are governed by law, and the application of the law must be consistent. This idea alone is sufficient reason for a major training programme. To achieve a sustainable, non-partisan, and transparent electoral process, it is essential that personnel understand and learn how to apply the rules governing elections, including the electoral code of conduct. A significant part of training must be devoted to these important matters. To obtain maximum consistency, EMB generally have a permanent Training Officer. The need for consistency of decisions is a thread which should run through and be an integral part of the programme.
Not all electoral decisions are clear cut, however. An issue that frequently causes controversy is the validity of ballot papers and whether they should be declared invalid or not. The decision is difficult enough with proper training; without it, the electoral manager may find that two members of the staff faced with the same markings on a ballot paper have made different decisions at different counting centres. A good training programme could be designed to avoid this type of problems. Training for consistency is one way of doing so.
