Technology for Corporate Management

Technology can be used to assist corporate management of election management bodies (EMBs).  Many of the computer software products available in office automation suites can be used for corporate management purposes.

The types of corporate management processes that can benefit from the application of technology include:

• internal planning processes, such as strategic planning and operational planning
• project management
• personnel management, including recruitment, maintaining staff records, and paying staff
• financial management systems, including estimates and budgets, expenditure control, financial reporting and audit functions
• supply and inventory management, including procurement, contract management, inventory control, warehousing/distribution control and transport control
• computer systems monitoring and management

The various corporate management systems can ideally be linked together to provide a comprehensive election management system.  Planning systems can be linked to project management systems to ensure that projects are in line with the relevant strategic and operational plans.  Project management systems in turn impact on the personnel, finance and materials systems.  The software systems used for supply and inventory management can be linked to relevant financial management systems to coordinate the estimating, budgeting and payment processes.  These systems can in turn be linked to the personnel management system to provide an overarching system that encompasses all aspects of the election management process.

Systems linked in this way should ensure that the election process runs smoothly, with staff properly employed and equipped to perform their functions.

Various software products are available which can assist an EMB with its internal planning processes.  Structured software programs can be used to facilitate higher level strategic planning, helping to set goals, aims and visions.  Software can also be used for more practical operational planning, which can be more specific and more detailed, including setting tasks and performance indicators.

Software can also be used to enter tasks into calendars, allowing tasks to be scheduled, time lines to be set together with deadlines advance warning and information on meetings an critical dates to be automatically communicated to all relevant staff members.

Project Management

The management of large projects such as the conduct of an election is a complex process, requiring the completion of many tasks and the employment of many people. Recognised project management techniques such as the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) and the Critical Path Method can assist in ensuring that projects are undertaken successfully.

Powerful off-the-shelf software can be used to assist with the project management process. The software will allow the user to enter tasks to be undertaken, resources needed, critical time lines, and so on. The software can then produce a range of charts, lists and reports which can be used to allocate tasks, estimate costs, monitor budgets, make the best use of available resources and ensure deadlines are identified and met.

Personnel Management

Personnel management is a very complex process that is well suited to computerisation. Software can be used to automate many routine tasks and to store and keep track of the wide range of data needed in a personnel management system. Some of the tasks that such a system can perform include:

• storing data related to each staff member
• storing descriptions of each staff position
• storing pay scales
• assisting with the recruitment process by storing lists of persons who have applied for employment and identifying applicants with suitable skills (particularly where large numbers of casual staff need to be employed for election purposes)
• generating offers of employment and employment contracts
• recording time worked by staff
• calculating payments owed to staff, including salaries, overtime payments, travel and accommodation allowances and other employment awards, and deductions for tax and superannuation
• generating payments to staff, including automatic funds transfers to bank accounts or production of cheques
• generating annual statements of payments and deductions for taxation purposes (known as "group certificates" in some countries)
• calculating leave entitlements and recording leave taken and leave due

While there are many off-the-shelf software programs available to perform these functions, care should be taken to ensure that the program adopted can address the often complex needs of election management bodies (EMBs). In particular, a personnel management program used by an EMB needs to be flexible enough to include employment of a great number of casual staff for election purposes as required. Such a system also needs to allow for any applicable government requirements on payments and deductions related to taxation, retirement contribution and other relevant employment awards, deductions or allowances.

Financial Management Systems

Computerised financial management systems can be used to automate the complex tasks associated with managing the finances of an an election management body (EMB). Such systems can be used for:

• Preparing and calculating estimates of likely income, expenditure, assets and liabilities
• Preparing and monitoring budgets
• Monitoring and controlling expenditure
• Keeping track of invoices and payments, and automating the process of bill paying
• Generating financial reports
• Facilitating auditing of the financial processes

Supply and Inventory Management

Managing the variety and quantity of materials needed by an election management body (EMB) to perform its functions is a large and complex task that is also well suited to computerisation.

Software can be used to identify:

• types of materials needed

• quantities of materials needed

• where materials are stored

• where materials are to be used

• what materials are available and what materials need to be ordered

Software can be used in the procurement process, not only to determine quantities required and time lines for supply but also to assist with contract management. Software can be used to develop tender documents and contracts and to assist with the decision-making process. Software can be used by tender evaluation panels to assess the merits of tenders and to ensure that tenders are evaluated equally.

Software is also particularly useful for inventory control. Where large quantities of material are stored in warehouses or storerooms, it is important to keep track of what materials are stored where. Software systems can perform this task much more effectively than a manual system.

Software can also be used to keep track of distribution control and transport control. This is particularly important where material is dispatched to geographically dispersed locations, such as regional centres or polling places.