EMB Staffing and Development of Professional Electoral Management

• Professional EMB members and staff need appropriate skills and most importantly a commitment to the principles of electoral management, including fairness, impartiality, independence, transparency, accessibility, and professionalism.
• EMBs’ use of pubic service staff in secretariats can provide benefits of public sector experience, but can create challenges for EMB professionalization, especially in Governmental Model EMBs, where electoral work may not be the staff’s vocation. EMBs that can hire their own staff and are not subject to public service rules may be able to offer incentives to attract higher quality staff. The existence of attractive career paths in EMBs will assist in the professionalization and retention of staff.
• EMB staff requirements are cyclical, with very high peaks that cannot justify maintenance of all of those staff permanently. Each EMB needs to devise appropriate strategies to promote effective use of temporary staff, which may include timely recruitment processes, availability of incentives and training opportunities, and regular contact mechanisms.
• Equitable recruitment and employment practices – including open merit selection processes, gender balance, and a fair and safe working environment - fulfil an EMB’s internal responsibility as an institution that promotes equity in public life.
• Investment in EMB staff training and development is critical for improving overall EMB effectiveness. This could be through internal courses, professional associations, academic qualifications, mentoring and skills transfer by consultants and senior mangers, or through external electoral management courses such as the BRIDGE course.
• Operational training, especially for temporary staff, has been found to be most effective if it concentrates on specific technical processes, and includes simulations, backed by good quality materials such as manuals and checklists, instructions, appropriate audio-visual aids, and rigorous training evaluation.
• EMBs typically need to provide operational training quickly for large numbers of electoral event staff. Mobile team training requires a relatively long training timetable, and simultaneous training a relatively large number of trainers. Cascade training is commonly used, though it requires strict timing and quality controls to ensure that accurate and complete information reaches the lower levels of the cascade in a timely manner.
• EMBs may have to overcome negative influences on their professionalization, such as conflict environments, flawed legal frameworks, a temporary EMB institution, and insufficient or late release of funds

Staffing of EMBs

Election management is a very complex activity and requires a very large number of staff. Significant advance planning, with clear definition of what categories of staff are needed, what each specific job entails, what sort of person will fill it, and how they will be selected, is crucial. Any structure should have regard to the separate and distinct functions undertaken prior to, during, and after the election.

Each division will seek differing skills, such as:

• lawyers and experienced executives for the legal division;
• trainers and teachers for the training and civic and voter education divisions;
• accountants for the finance division;
• and computer professionals for the information technology division.
  

 

Criteria such as terms of qualifications, suitability for work, age, and possibly lack of connection with parties or candidates, are commonly considered in planning the recruitment process. In some cases, many of the posts involved are already specifically identified in laws and regulations – e.g., Returning Officer, Counting Officer, and Polling Officer/Poll Worker —,as are the duties attached to these posts.

Use of Public Service Staff for EMB Secretariats

Many EMBs rely on public service staffing for their secretariats. This may be required in Governmental Model EMBs and in other models where this is government policy. Independent Model EMBs which have their own employment rules may find it difficult to offer their staff good career prospects, due to the small number and specialised nature of many of the secretariat positions, and thus may find it more effective to rely on public service staff. Such reliance on the public service does not by itself inhibit the development of professionalism. Allowing the EMB to set its own rules for its secretariat staff who are public servants is beneficial. These rules could prohibit transfers from the EMB at specified periods, and could also provide conditions of service appropriate to the high pressure environment of electoral events.

In any case, EMBs will at some point have to deal with mobility of any public service staff assigned to the EMB. Staff who have gained electoral experience move on to other government positions, leaving a skill and experience gap. For those public service staff in Governmental and Mixed Model EMBs who remain available for electoral tasks, it is a long time between elections doing work of possibly a completely different nature. Regular development measures such as refresher courses, and accessible archiving of electoral materials, can assist in maintaining electoral skill levels.

Permanent and Temporary Staff

No EMB can justify or afford to maintain permanently the number of staff needed for all polling stations (which in a country such as Indonesia require over 4 million staff). Efficiency considerations may also preclude the permanent maintenance of secretariats or subsidiary EMBs at regional and local levels, or the full permanent staffing of functions that are only activated during an election period. For Governmental and Mixed Model EMBs, much of the management structure for major electoral events may be on temporary appointments or seconded from other areas of the public service. Temporary EMB secretariat staff are often not recruited long enough before elections, nor do they stay long enough after elections, to be trained thoroughly for their work.

Each EMB needs to devise appropriate strategies to promote effective use of temporary staff. These strategies could include timely recruitment processes; measures to ensure availability of experienced temporary staff for each electoral event, such as payment of availability retainers; and measures to maintain contact with temporary staff between electoral events such as databases of contact information, newsletters, reunion meetings, or refresher courses. Such measures can be particularly appropriate for EMBs in countries where there is no fixed interval for elections.

This type of approach is not possible, however, for an EMB such as that in Mexico, where temporary polling officials for each election are chosen through a lottery system. Significant lead time, and a very well funded recruitment and training effort, are then essential.

Conditions of Employment: EMB-Specific or Public Service Staff

Staff of Governmental and Mixed Model EMBs, and of Independent Model EMBs which use public servants as staff, are usually employed under conditions broadly equivalent to those of public servants of similar rank and seniority. Special allowances for electoral work, particularly to compensate for the long hours involved during election periods, may also be available.

In Independent Model EMBs responsible for their own staffing, the salaries and conditions of senior secretariat staff are often pegged to those of senior public servants. In some countries, EMB staff are employed on contract with conditions equivalent to the staff of the legislature, while in others, the public service regulations allow the EMB flexibility in its employment practices.

Where government policies aim to reduce staffing levels of public agencies, EMBs have often resorted to the use of external individual or corporate contractors, especially for technical development and support tasks, often at higher basic costs than public service base rates, but without EMB obligations for costs such as pensions and allowances. This may cause disquiet among EMB staff, fearing for the permanency of their own positions and aware that their base rate of pay is inferior. It may also affect the sustainability of the EMB’s operations.

Staff Pensions

Many EMBs link their staff pension to that of the public service, and it is natural to do so in EMBs where secretariat staff are public servants. It is cost-effective and convenient for these EMBs to maintain the pension link to the public service, and it may provide more secure or higher retirement benefits for EMB staff.

However, this practice can raise questions, especially for Independent and Mixed Model EMBs, about how ‘independent’ of the government the EMB is. In some countries, the EMB’s pension is linked by law to the public service pension without compromising its independence, while in others, EMB staff pension benefits are for staff of the legislature. Some EMBs have their own pension scheme.

Procedures for Recruitment of EMB Staff

EMBs use various secretariat staff recruiting methods. Governmental Model and other EMBs that rely on public service staff may not be free to implement their own recruiting practices. In countries such as Indonesia, they may have to take whatever secretariat staff are allocated to them.

Good practice is to hold an open selection process, advertising widely for candidates and specifying clearly the skills, qualifications, and personal attributes required for each position to be filled. This is possible even where EMB staff are public servants. It is more difficult where Governmental EMB secretariats have part-time or fixed-period electoral tasks, and electoral skills may not be prominent in the profile required of staff.

As organisations that must be an example of equitable action, EMBs need to implement recruitment and staffing policies that are conducive to gender balance in EMB staff, and that promote employment of women to achieve this. Women need to be afforded equal opportunities as men for employment, training, promotion, and benefits for all EMB permanent and temporary positions. This may require the EMB to introduce both gender-sensitive employment practices and training to ensure that all staff are aware of and committed to achieving the benefits of these. Some customary traditions, such as requirements in some societies for separate polling stations for women and men, may affect the details of implementing gender balance.

The implementation of gender balance in an established EMB permanent secretariat may take time and involve careful consideration of policies for filling vacancies. While this constraint does not apply when a new EMB secretariat is being established, the issue of gender balance may be lost in the hurry to find suitable people in recruiting for all levels of a complete EMB secretariat at one time.

Some countries use political parties to assist in identifying suitable EMB secretariat staff. In the USA, it is common for party nominees to participate in election administration, especially at local or ‘county’ level.

One of the biggest recruitment tasks faced in a country is that of recruiting short-term electoral staff, particularly polling station staff. In Hungary, local governments recruit polling station staff. Some EMBs request government ministries to second staff to be approved and appointed by the EMB for short-term contracts. In rural South Africa, traditional authorities are used to identify unemployed youth, who are interviewed by the EMB to assess their suitability for appointment as election officials at local polling stations.

In Mexico, the electoral law requires the EMB to hold a two-stage lottery of all eligible citizens to make an initial selection of temporary staff for polling stations. Those selected are trained, after which a final selection is made, allocating staff to specific roles at polling stations according to their education level. In a few countries, election work is compulsory. If a person is summoned to work as polling station staff, he or she cannot refuse without facing a penalty. Other avenues for recruiting temporary EMB staff for polling station work may be corporations and voluntary organisations.

Screening of candidates for permanent or temporary EMB staff appointment is a necessary component of the recruitment and appointment process and enhances transparency of the process. This screening aims to ensure that staff recruited have the specified qualifications, are of good character, and are not likely to be politically active or otherwise unsuitable. The screening process is best kept simple, quick, and under the control of the EMB, rather than of political parties or other organisations.

Nevertheless, parties can be involved in the process. In some countries, the list of candidates for regional election coordinators and returning officers is circulated to stakeholders, such as political parties, for their endorsement. In Namibia, parties have the right to veto the appointment of any person who holds a party political office and whose impartiality is questionable.

Appointment of EMB Secretariat Staff

The procedure for appointing members of the secretariat varies from country to country. Secretariats in EMBs which follow the Governmental Model are usually staffed by civil servants, either as permanent electoral employees or on secondment for specific election tasks, appointed under and subject to the conditions of service of laws governing civil service appointments.

In some countries with Independent Model EMBs, the secretariat staff working for the EMB are directly appointed and paid for by the EMB, while in other countries, EMB personnel are civil servants and their salaries and conditions of service are linked to the civil service. Even where secretariat staff are civil servants, they may hold statutory appointments under electoral law. The extent to which the EMB enjoys powers to hire and fire its own staff can be an indication of the extent to which the EMB is independent of the government. EMBs which have the power to hire and fire their own staff include India, Mexico, South Africa, and Uruguay.

The arrangement for EMB staff to remain civil servants and to be linked to the civil service machinery has been regarded by some electoral analysts as a back door through which the executive may control the electoral process.

For example, in Antigua and Barbuda, Botswana, Tanzania and Yemen, the Chief Electoral Officer, who is the EMB’s Chief Executive, is appointed by the President. A recent external review of the 2004 Botswana general elections recommended that the power to appoint the EMB’s Chief Executive should be vested in the EMB rather than the President. In Georgia, the staff of the EMB are all civil servants. In Canada and Kenya, the EMB’s returning officers (managers) at the electoral district level are appointed by the Government and not by the EMB. This practice has been regarded as a weak link in electoral administration, especially in Canada.

Except for the Director of Elections, who is the EMB’s Chief Executive, the whole of the secretariat of the Namibian Electoral Commission (ECN) consists of civil servants. The government approves the creation of EMB positions, and all EMB appointments are linked to civil service salaries and conditions of service. The EMB determines the conditions of service for election staff (the temporary staff that perform duty during elections, such as poling station staff), but the applicable rates must first be approved by the Treasury.

Some possible advantages of using civil servants as EMB secretariat staff

• Where the civil service has a tradition of neutrality, they provide loyal service.
• Knowledge of public administration may reduce EMB training needs.
• May have networks within civil service that assist in electoral activities – for example, procurement of equipment and materials, or use of state facilities.
• Have a clear career path, even if not in the EMB.
• Job security may promote continuity of staffing.

 

Some possible disadvantages of using civil servants as EMB secretariat staff

• May not be regarded as neutral or impartial, thus reducing credibility of electoral process.
• May lack specific electoral skills
• May not be accustomed to the time critical nature of electoral tasks.
• May transfer/be transferred out of the EMB with little notice, resulting in critical skill loss.
• Pay scales may be insufficient to motivate performance or loyalty.
• May be working second jobs due to low pay, thus affecting commitment at critical times.

 

Critical issues to consider when determining whether to use civil servants as EMB secretariat staff are those of political neutrality and job fit or skill levels. Civil servants may be publicly regarded as associated with or easily influenced by the government, on whom they depend for their appointment, promotions, and salaries, thus affecting the credibility of the EMB. Strong Independent or Mixed Model EMBs can mitigate this impression.

In many countries, civil servants may also not be highly trained or, due to only occasional work on electoral issues or to government civil service rotation policies, not technically skilled in electoral tasks. This requires that the EMB have a strong training unit or bring in external consultants as necessary to complement the skills available to the EMB. In Indonesia, the EMB has successfully employed consultants and contractors for voter information and information technology tasks, who have transferred skills to the EMB’s civil service staff.

Procedures for the Appointment for EMB Secretariat Staff

The overriding consideration in making appointments of EMB secretariat staff is a fair selection procedure that results in the selection of the most suitable candidates. The EMB may often delegate the power of appointment to the head of the secretariat or to one of its members, who then may delegate appointments of lower ranking officials to other secretariat staff. In a few instances, the power of appointment is vested solely in the head of the secretariat, as in Botswana. Often, the appointment of temporary staff for voter registration and polling station work is done by election committees, returning officers, or their equivalents, at electoral district or local level.

It is good practice for EMB staff to be required to sign the EMB’s code of conduct as a condition of appointment. It is also good practice to inform the public about senior appointments to the EMB and its secretariat, by placing this information on the EMB website, in newspapers, and in other media. To speed the integration of new staff into the EMB, it is important that the EMB develop a comprehensive orientation programme that is compulsory for all new staff within the first weeks of their appointment.

In Mexico, the EMB has full hiring and firing powers over its secretariat staff. The law requires that all management, supervisory, and technical officials of the EMB be members of the Professional Electoral Service, which is essentially a specialized civil service devoted entirely to electoral work. Citizens may have provisional access to the Professional Electoral Service by way of taking training courses, winning a contest for membership, or passing an examination. Full membership can only be obtained after passing required annual performance evaluations, undertaking further training, and having been involved in the management of an election. Initial recruits in 1992 were obtained through responses to a national media campaign.

Staff Appointment Formalities

The formalities, in accordance with good practice, that would be completed upon appointment would include an instrument of appointment setting out the terms and conditions of the appointment, the job description attached to the position, and a copy of the oath of office and/or code of conduct signed on appointment.

Other important information that would accompany the appointment instrument includes to whom the staff member reports and whom he/she should consult for assistance, if necessary. Information may also be given at this time concerning security and identification documents. The appointment instrument may require that the prospective appointee forward a letter of acceptance within a stipulated period. It is good practice, and may be legally required, to inform the prospective appointee of circumstances under which he/she may be dismissed from the position.

It is also common practice among EMBs to inform the public about senior appointments to the EMB, such as a newly-appointed head of secretariat or senior managers, by placing this information on the EMB website, newspapers, and other media. Information about such appointments may include a photograph, academic qualifications, and professional background and achievements.

What Is a Professional Electoral Administrator?

Compliance with the legislative framework, including electoral regulations, procedures, and manuals, is a prerequisite for the achievement of professionalism by an EMB. The term ‘professional electoral administrator’ implies a person with a range of skills beyond those associated with technical or management qualifications in a specific field.

In addition to these, a professional electoral administrator needs also:

a) an understanding of strategies for strengthening democratic development;

b) a commitment to the principles that are the foundation of electoral good practice; and

c) a strong commitment to high-quality electoral service to all stakeholders.

Specialist professional credentials and relevant management and technical experience assist EMB members and staff in becoming professional electoral administrators. As well as these skills, professional electoral administrators are committed to the principles of electoral good practice, which include:

a) Integrity, meaning the ability to act in a non-partisan and independent manner by not acting to benefit political interests and/or corruption, and by ensuring that breaches of the electoral law, rules and codes of conduct are followed;

b) Impartiality, meaning the ability to be fair and to afford stakeholders equitable and honest treatment or a ‘level playing field’ and the ability to treat all stakeholders in an even-handed, non-partisan manner;

c) Independence, meaning the ability to carry out the work without influence from or being under the control of an external force, such as the government or the ruling party;

d) Transparency, referring to the ability to be open and truthful in all dealings, except where openness will undermine the secret ballot or security;

e) Efficiency, meaning that funds for elections are used wisely, that procurement of election materials and development of programmes are made in a sustainable and cost-effective manner, and that EMB services are delivered efficiently;

f) Service mindedness, meaning that all stakeholders, and in particular voters, should enjoy high-quality services;

g) Accessibility, meaning available to stakeholders to provide timely information and access to EMB records; and

h) Professionalism, meaning the ability to be fair, effective, efficient, accurate, responsible, morally correct, and service-oriented.

No matter how great their commitment to their work, the bulk of members appointed to EMBs are not experienced in the full range of responsibilities associated with leading and managing electoral processes. Professional development for EMB members is as essential for attaining and maintaining high-quality EMB performance as is development of EMB secretariat staff.

An EMB’s capacity to perform all its electoral functions and responsibilities effectively depends very much on the capacities and performance of its secretariat staff. The capacities of EMB secretariat staff can be enhanced by implementing appropriate recruitment strategies and vigorous training and development programmes. Most of the issues faced will be similar for Independent, Governmental, and Mixed Models of EMBs, though they may manifest themselves in different ways.

Public concerns about the professionalism of an EMB can lead to calls for institutional reform. However, EMBs with a strong set of values can deliver elections whose results are accepted by stakeholders even though they are still in the process of developing professional staff, as, for example, in Yemen.

Staff Training and Development

One of the pillars of professionalism in electoral administration is proper training and development of core permanent staff (if any), temporary management staff appointed for specific electoral events, and the large numbers of field staff that may be temporarily engaged for large-scale events such as elections, referendums, or census-style voter registration.

The principles of good electoral practice, such as impartiality, transparency, voting secrecy, equality of access, accountability, and efficiency form the basis of all EMB staff training. Staff training and development is a continuing activity. Changes in electoral procedures and technology, and the time that elapses between elections, means even the most experienced staff cannot rely entirely on experience to ‘know’ their current tasks.

Because staff training and development is not immediately tangible like ballot boxes or voter education materials are, there can be difficulties in persuading governments to approve EMB budgets that contain sufficient funds for this task. Staff training and development management also needs to occupy a sufficiently senior position in the EMB’s organisational structure to ensure it has a strong input into organisational priorities, including internal budget determination.

EMB Organisational and Staff Development for Permanent Staff

Organisational and staff development (OSD) for the EMB’s staff addresses their long-term capacity-building and skills requirements, and also takes into account staff career development. OSD aims to unify the EMB’s strategic objectives and the skills required to attain these with the career and personal development goals of its staff. An active OSD element will contribute to the sustainability of the EMB.

It is important that the EMB develop both short-term and long-term strategies to address its OSD requirements. OSD requires a substantial, and preferably separate, dedicated budget, so the EMB will need to prioritise its training and development needs. For example, the Russian EMB has decided that training of core staff is its priority, not training of polling station staff.

OSD is based on a needs assessment, which the EMB may conduct itself or bring in outside contractors or management consultants to conduct. This needs assessment identifies all EMB tasks, compares the skill levels of staff with these tasks, and identifies the gaps – from which specific organisational and individual staff training needs, and the appropriate training methodologies, can be determined. OSD programs aim to train each EMB staff member to do his or her tasks with maximum efficiency and professionalism.

Depending on the needs analysis, areas which OSD could cover include.

a) generic skills development, such as:

• written and verbal communication;
• creativity innovation and enterprise;
• team building;
• critical and strategic thinking, and problem solving;
• self management;
• dispute resolution skills;
• project management;
• using technology;
• leadership, management, coaching, and supervisory skills;
  
  

b) technical skills relevant to the specific EMB division.

Staff development may take a number of basic forms, such as customized short-term informal training in the form of staff meetings and reviews, retreats and seminars, mentoring of staff by senior EMB or another organisation’s officials, and long-term formal training in the form of courses or academic development programmes. Continuous horizontal and vertical communication within the EMB not only contributes to development objectives, but greatly assists in maintaining organisational focus and improving staff performance.

Identifying Training Requirements

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.

Internal Training of EMB Staff

One of the key features of election management is that it requires a very large numbers of staff. A Human Resources Division or a Personnel Office will play a key role in the success of the electoral process. A high quality advance planning with clear definition on what categories of staff is needed and how they will be selected is crucial. Before staff can be appointed, a clear description of what the job entails and what sort of person will fill it needs to be prepared. Such preparation normally entails putting together some form of overall structure of staff and responsibilities. Any structure should have regard to the separate and distinct functions undertaken prior to, during and after the election.

An EMB structure could include specific divisions for human resource, information and technology, finance, legal services public information etc. Each division will seek differing skills, such as:

• lawyers and experienced executives for the legal division;
• trainers and teachers for the civic and voter education division;
• accountants for the finance division;
• and computer professionals for the information technology division.

 

Criteria such as terms of qualifications, suitability for work, age, and possibly lack of connection with parties or candidates, are common thing considered in the recruitment process. Many of the posts involved are specifically identified in laws and regulations. Commonly posts such as Returning Officer, Counting Officer and Polling Officer/Poll Worker are sometimes described in legislation, as are the duties attach to these posts.

Good employment practices should be adopted, although it is recognised that this may not always be possible. Pay scales, conditions of service, ordering of office equipment, office administration, petty cash, and so on, although perhaps considered minor issues, all need to be put in place to contribute to the successful organisation of the election administration process.

Written Materials

Written training materials, such as instruction sheets, manuals, or handouts, can take many forms and can be shaped to meet specific training needs. In general, written training materials should be short and easy to understand. To make the training as simple as possible, printed training material could illustrate the polling process by using illustrative features, such as diagrams, pictures, and step-by-step animation of the process. Clear examples and “What if” questions will help deal with difficult situations.

Another helpful tool is a “Problem solving” or “Quick Reference” manual, a manual that lists a series of potential problems which poll workers may encounter and which can be easily opened to the proper page when necessary. Manuals or handouts could also be used to highlight what is new since the last election and what has changed. Experienced staff will tend to skim over instructions assuming that they already know the system and therefore are able to carry out the required tasks. Highlighting new requirements and changed requirements in a manual or a handout can avoid many mistakes from being made.

Handouts are also useful to bring forward selected key topics that might be especially important in the case. Written training materials have always been and still are very common for EMB staff training. In some countries, however, training is complemented with instruction by electronic means.

Instructions

Instructions in the form of easy-to-read sheets or checklists have long been used in some countries to complement cascade training of some tiers of electoral staff, for example, polling station security officials, polling station staff, and counting staff. Such instructions can be made available in electronic format where facilities for this exist.

Training Manuals

Most EMBs rely on training manuals to impart skills to election officials. Manuals that are accurate, well written, and easy to interpret and apply are an indispensable training aid. It is effective to develop separate components of a manual to cover categories of staff with different duties, and to include in the manuals simple check lists of their essential tasks and a set of questions that trainees need to answer to verify their knowledge. Hard-copy manuals can be supplemented by soft copies from which additional materials can be printed. Sufficient copies of manuals can be printed to allow election officials to take them home after training, either for further reading or for reference while they are working. In Hungary, electronic training facilities are used, including an electronic manual and test on its contents.

EMBs can also consider producing manuals on electoral processes for their various stakeholders, such as political parties and candidates, party agents, the media, and election observers. The better understanding stakeholders have of the electoral processes, the easier a competent EMB’s work is likely to be.

Practical Exercises

A popular and very effective method of training includes different types of simulations. These practical, ‘close to reality’ exercises tend to give participants good hands-on knowledge and will lift the level of confidence of staff. Simulation of electoral processes, such as the conduct of voter registration, polling and counting processes, and similar hands-on and interactive training experiences are generally regarded as the most effective method of training temporary EMB staff and are worthy of being included in every training session. A role play where for example a polling station is set up and a number of people present simulate the process shows in a practical way how the process works. Those present will have had the opportunity to watch, listen, and ask questions about the process they are to carry out.

Elections rely to a greater or lesser degree on automation, and the period between elections can be quite lengthy - sometimes 5 years or more for particular types of elections. If there have been significant changes in staff, running a simulated or test election (on a reduced scale compared to the overall process) is both a useful training exercise and a way of identifying any faults or shortcomings in process. Where permanent staff are organising elections every few months, this may not be necessary – but where a combination of new staff and a considerable time between elections occurs a test process will save a great deal of time and worry for when the main event comes round.

The use of videos and graphics to illustrate and reinforce training texts and messages, and to make presentations to smaller groups, is growing in popularity with trainers. These materials are useful to support, rather than be the basis of, electoral training. Video materials can be most effective when developed as short, focused segments that can be used to illustrate specific work activities and to guide simulations. Before developing training sessions relying on video content, an EMB needs to be sure that appropriate video facilities are available and affordable at all training locations.

Oral/visual Training

General briefings on an informal basis can be used as training opportunities, especially where there are very large numbers of people to be trained. If briefings are combined with the distribution of the poll workers manuals or similar documentation for vote counters or registration workers, a relatively short session can be used to run through the processes outlined in the manual and to answer questions. Where possible, it is recommended that manuals and other relevant documents are distributed in advance of the briefing to give the staff time to absorb the material and to prepare possible questions.

More detailed briefings can serve as training for key electoral staff, and hopefully such a briefing will highlight problems and questions that need to be addressed. Briefings for poll workers or count staff will be considerably livened up if some video and graphic material is used.

The regular meetings for headquarter staff should also be seen as training opportunities. Staff meetings should be held periodically and should address and highlight problems and solutions of the day-to-day work at the EMB. EMB members should, above meetings, have the opportunity to attend topic oriented or problem-solving seminars. These seminars can be directed to commissioners only or to EMB commissioners, election advisers, experts, stakeholders, etc. and can be more or less informal.

One disadvantage of internal training is that the staff often is very familiar with the person undertaking the training, and it is rarely seen as an "event".

External Training of EMB Staff

External training is training provided from outside the electoral manager's office or staff using external consultants, specialists, or organisations. There are many different types of external training, including:

• information exchange with other national or international electoral managers;
• secondment of staff into or out of the electoral manager's office;
• using consultants or external electoral staff to undertake training (e.g. lectures or seminars) either on- or off-site;
• sending staff to external training courses;
• training through membership in external organisations or associations;
• organising meetings of groups of other electoral managers faced with the same issues.

 

Internal training is essential, but an external training process can add interest, give a greater breadth of experience and working practices, and give better opportunities for discussion with other people facing the same problems.

Information Exchange

There is no point in having six managers all worrying about the same issues. Very few electoral problems are unique. Exchange of good practices is an excellent and inexpensive way of external training. Electoral managers can meet at the global, regional, or national level to discuss electoral issues, to learn from one another, and to prepare common solutions to anticipated problems. A network or an association which acts as an exchange of information and good practice group could be established by electoral managers from different parts of the globe.

The network can publish newsletters in order to exchange and distribute information at a low cost. Regional meetings can be a venue for specific training activities involving external sources. This type of meeting works very well in the run up to major electoral events; the only cost involved is travel. For example, where new automation systems are being introduced, the global network of electoral managers can arrange meetings with specialist suppliers, and where there are particularly difficult legal issues legal advisers can be invited to present their views.

Training Courses and Events

Regional and international training courses and events may engage election officials and experts from all around the world and will offer the opportunity to get together with colleagues facing the same or similar problems. External training courses where staff and members from different EMBs get together will facilitate exposure to new ideas and the exchange of good practices and current developments in election administration. Traditionally there are exchanges of good practice and detailed presentations on a variety of electoral problems and issues which are relevant to all participating countries. Regional and international seminars and workshops for electoral managers are also good training and should be encouraged by the EMB.

Education and Development Courses for EMB Staff

There is a strong case for EMB staff being seen to be professional by gaining graduate or postgraduate qualifications in electoral management and governance. More institutions of higher learning are offering courses on aspects of governance and electoral administration. Pioneers in this include the American University (USA), the University of Queensland (Australia), and the University of Paris (France).

International electoral assistance agencies have also developed relatively short professional development courses for electoral administrators, such as the BEAT (Basic Election Administration Training) course developed by IFES, which has been implemented in Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The most comprehensive professional development course available for electoral administrators is the Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) course, jointly developed by International IDEA, the UN Electoral Assistance Division, and the Australian Electoral Commission. BRIDGE courses are presented by accredited BRIDGE facilitators. BRIDGE is made up of stand-alone modules, so any course can be tailored to an EMB’s specific professional development needs. All BRIDGE modules are available in English, with some or most of the modules also available in Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Russian.

In the UK, the Association of Election Administrators (AEA) conducts regular training and education for election administrators. EMBs (local authorities) in the UK usually require that candidates for election-related positions have the relevant AEA qualifications. The South African EMB has been developing a formal training and education curriculum for election practitioners and an accreditation mechanism for qualified election managers. The Bangladeshi EMB has set up the National Training Institute in Dhaka, which conducts intensive training for electoral staff at all levels, both face-to-face and electronically. There are strict entrance, accreditation, and continuing professional development requirements to be a member of the Professional Electoral Service of the EMB in Mexico.

External Election Advisers, Consultants and Trainers

Where there are specific training needs requiring specialist skills or experience, the use of consultants or external electoral staff is worthwhile. International advisers and consultants can be concentrated to train staff on a particular area, such as computer skills or on a particular part of the process. International advisers and consultants are also useful for the training of the EMB trainers.

An advantage of external consultants is that they may have an external and sometimes more objective view of an issue. They do not need to "defend" the process and may be able to identify weaknesses which are not apparent to internal staff. Consultants also have the advantage that they are able to specialise in a narrow field of activity, whereas most permanent electoral staff have to cover a wide topic and skill area. For example, specialist lawyers can be engaged to give training on legal issues or on how to prepare for legal processes, public relations consultants can give good training on public relations skills, and automation specialists on automated processes. External trainers’ wide experiences in given cases may not only help solving specific problems, but may help to raise training programmes to international standards.

A disadvantage is that external consultants may not be familiar with the values and objectives of the electoral organisation, but this situation can be overcome with adequate briefings. Unfortunately, this type of training is costly.

Using International Experience

Various regional electoral associations facilitate the exchange of information as well as the secondment and training of electoral administrators. At the international level, through bilateral and multilateral cooperation, many EMBs have been able to send their staff to observe electoral management in other countries, or on secondment to other EMBs for training and exposure to different ways of electoral organisation. This is a quick and relatively inexpensive way of gaining new ideas and exposure to good practices in electoral administration.

EMB projects using advisors and consultants with experience in other countries need to be structured to provide skills transfer and capacity-building through mentoring of the EMB’s staff. These advisors and consultants have the potential to help EMBs solve difficult specific problems, to advise the EMB members and staff on how to ensure its operations accord with international standards, and to build the EMB’s own internal problem-solving capacities. They may be specialists in particular electoral and technical fields or skilled electoral managers.

Mentoring

Providing formal or informal one-on-one mentoring opportunities for selected staff can contribute greatly to individual staff skills and personal development, especially if the conditions and goals of the mentoring program are clearly established. Mentor programmes can also assist the EMB to achieve some of its equity goals – for example increasing the number of women or other targeted social or ethnic groups holding more senior management or technical positions. In addition to internal mentoring programs, it may be possible to arrange short-term secondments of EMB staff to work with a mentor in another public-sector agency or private sector organisation.

Secondment of Staff

It is very easy to arrange for staff to visit another local or national management body, and many EMBs have been able to send key staff on secondments for a couple of weeks or so to EMBs in other countries. This is an effective way to expose EMB staff to different ways of election organisation, to exchange ideas, and to see how problems are solved in other countries or jurisdictions.

Secondments and exchange visits like this are increasingly taking place on an international basis. Good ideas are rapidly being transferred around the world. Exchange visits benefit both sides - the person visiting another electoral manager's office will bring new ideas and different approaches and thus the office being visited will have the benefit of a different perspective. Exchange visits will also benefit the increasing international interest in forming links with communities in different countries.

Handbooks and Specialist Publications

Specialist publications or handbooks, such as the ones from International IDEA, can provide detailed guidance on most parts of the electoral process, on electoral management, and on electoral law and good practice. These publications are an excellent way for the electoral manager to keep up to date at minimum cost and without having to undertake a lot of research and travel. Internet resources such as the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network and others are other easy and inexpensive sources of information. The newsletters of various EMBs such as Elections Canada and the Election Commission of India also provide a variety of useful information.

Factors Which May Inhibit EMB Professionalism

There are numerous problems which the EMB may have to overcome to achieve an acceptable level of professionalism. Some may be within the EMB itself, such as attitudinal or resource prioritization issues. Others may be the product of factors in the EMB’s external environment.

Political Climate

The political climate within which elections take place largely determines the electoral credibility and legitimacy. In environments of political fear, intimidation, and violence, in societies with no respect for rule of law, or where governments have no transparency or accountability, it is difficult to manage credible elections. Nevertheless, a professionally oriented EMB can still work hard under such circumstances to demonstrate a commitment to ethical principles and by so doing contribute to efforts to build confidence in the electoral process. Examples of EMBs which delivered acceptable results under the most trying circumstances include the EMBs of Afghanistan (2004), Iraq (January 2005), Mozambique (1994), Nicaragua (1990), and South Africa (1994).

Legal Framework

A sound electoral legal framework is essential for the successful planning and conduct of electoral events and also for the professionalization of the EMB. Where the legal framework falls short of the acceptable norms, the EMB may encounter difficulties in delivering electoral events that are acceptable to all stakeholders, and may thus appear to be unprofessional.

In order to avoid political disruptions and other uncertainties that may undermine the electoral process, it is preferable that changes to the legal framework be finalised long before the date of an electoral event. This allows the EMB sufficient time to educate the public about the changes, make the necessary modifications to its procedures, and train its staff. It also allows the parties and candidates time to adjust their plans if necessary.

The experience of many EMBs, however, particularly in emerging democracies, is that last-minute changes to the legal framework are common.

Temporary EMBs

Temporary EMBs, such as those in some parts of Eastern Europe, may suffer from interruptions which undermine their professional development. A full-time EMB tends to have time and resources to train its staff in between elections; a temporary EMB may only have 90 days in office, which makes long-term training and capacity-building practically impossible. The heavy reliance of a temporary EMB on temporarily seconded public servants may also undermine EMB professionalism, especially because the office from which they are seconded may not be able to release the same staff to the EMB for every electoral event.

Amount and Timing of EMB Funding

Lack of adequate or timely funding can also undermine EMB professional development programmes. Some EMBs, especially in fledgling democracies, struggle to get enough funds for electoral events. When funds are eventually made available, it may be too late to conduct meaningful training of staff, especially temporary electoral staff. Funding may also have conditions that inappropriately limit the EMB’s choice of types of staff training or development.

Summary: EMB Staffing and Development of Professional Electoral Management

• Professional EMB members and staff need appropriate skills and most importantly a commitment to the principles of electoral management, including fairness, impartiality, independence, transparency, accessibility, and professionalism.
• EMBs’ use of pubic service staff in secretariats can provide benefits of public sector experience, but can create challenges for EMB professionalization, especially in Governmental Model EMBs, where electoral work may not be the staff’s vocation. EMBs that can hire their own staff and are not subject to public service rules may be able to offer incentives to attract higher quality staff. The existence of attractive career paths in EMBs will assist in the professionalization and retention of staff.
• EMB staff requirements are cyclical, with very high peaks that cannot justify maintenance of all of those staff permanently. Each EMB needs to devise appropriate strategies to promote effective use of temporary staff, which may include timely recruitment processes, availability of incentives and training opportunities, and regular contact mechanisms.
• Equitable recruitment and employment practices – including open merit selection processes, gender balance, and a fair and safe working environment - fulfil an EMB’s internal responsibility as an institution that promotes equity in public life.
• Investment in EMB staff training and development is critical for improving overall EMB effectiveness. This could be through internal courses, professional associations, academic qualifications, mentoring and skills transfer by consultants and senior mangers, or through external electoral management courses such as the BRIDGE course.
• Operational training, especially for temporary staff, has been found to be most effective if it concentrates on specific technical processes, and includes simulations, backed by good quality materials such as manuals and checklists, instructions, appropriate audio-visual aids, and rigorous training evaluation.
• EMBs typically need to provide operational training quickly for large numbers of electoral event staff. Mobile team training requires a relatively long training timetable, and simultaneous training a relatively large number of trainers. Cascade training is commonly used, though it requires strict timing and quality controls to ensure that accurate and complete information reaches the lower levels of the cascade in a timely manner.
• EMBs may have to overcome negative influences on their professionalization, such as conflict environments, flawed legal frameworks, a temporary EMB institution, and insufficient or late release of funds