By Pavel Cabacenco, IFES Moldova and Member of the ACE Practitioners' Network.

A BRIDGE workshop on Strategic and Financial Planning took place in Chisinau, Moldova from March 29 to April 2. It was conducted by the Moldovan Central Election Commission (CEC) and the UNDP Electoral Support to Moldova Project. The workshop became an integral part of the strategic planning process undertaken by CEC and facilitated by International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). 

This is the first time the Central Election Commission is engaged in such a planning exercise. The main purpose of the strategic planning process is the optimization of the management practices and creation of a modern institution capable to face challenges of the current political and economic situation in Moldova. Besides the uncertainty surrounding the electoral process generated by repeatedly failed attempts of Moldovan Parliament to elect a president, Moldova is experiencing many problems of a country in transition: economic crisis; lack of vision and long-term planning; poor implementation of legal and administrative decisions; lack of transparency in decision-making and finances; need for training and education. 

The five day workshop was run by lead facilitator Skye Christensen of UNDP, facilitator Olya Azatyan of the ACE Regional Centre of Central Asia and North Caucasus (RBI) and semi-accredited facilitators Renata Lapti, Vice-Chairman of the CEC, Iurie Ciocan, Secretary of the CEC and Doina Bordeianu, Head of the Civic Education, Training and Secretariat Department. The workshop completed the following objectives: 

• Trained representatives of the apparatus of Moldovan Central Electoral Commission in various aspects of strategic and financial planning. Representatives of the local authorities were involved in the training as well as they are playing an important role in election management in Moldova;
  

• Facilitated internal discussions about the strengths and weaknesses of the CEC and simulated a strategic planning process. Central Electoral Commission has recently initiated the process of strategic planning and assisted by IFES completed internal organizational assessment of CEC. Results of the discussions within the BRIDGE workshop will be analyzed by the CEC strategic planning committee and will serve as a good basis for the forthcoming assessment of the external factors influencing activity of CEC. Internal and external assessments will be analyzed by CEC at the strategic planning workshop in summer. Given the current unsettled nature of the Parliament of Moldova and possibility to have snap parliamentary elections in autumn 2010 or spring 2011, it is critical for the Central Electoral Commission to draft a strategic plan, which will also take in consideration immediate future;
  

• Accredited BRIDGE facilitators who will become core staff of the CEC Training Center in the nearest future, thus increasing the capacity of the CEC to conduct trainings for professional development of its staff;

This workshop was provided in the framework of the Electoral Support to Moldova Project Funded by the European Union, co-funded and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme.

More information is available at:

- CEC: www.cec.md
- IFES Moldova: www.ifes.org/moldova.html
- UNDP Electoral Support to Moldova Project:
www.undp.md/projects/electoral_assistance.shtml

- BRIDGE website: http://bridge-project.org/news/europe-cis/832-strategic-a-financial-planning-workshop-in-moldova

Pictures by the courtesy of the BRIDGE project.