Introduction
Elections are technically and politically demanding enterprises, requiring sound management and specialized skills. While under heavy political and time pressure, electoral management bodies (EMBs) are expected to conduct elections that are credible and acceptable to all stakeholders. To achieve these goals, EMBs must ensure that elections are not only technically sound but also politically acceptable and legitimate. As a result, there is little room for errors that may call into question the integrity of the electoral process.
Capable and professional election administrators are essential for organizing elections, and without the right skills in place election processes can be undermined. To achieve professional, effective and sustainable electoral administrations, the development of the capacity of EMB staff needs to be prioritized. However, despite the significant expertise needed to conduct successful elections, the field of election administration is still not regarded as a profession in many quarters and the professional and capacity development of electoral staff is not as prioritized as it would need to be, neither among governments, donors, electoral assistance providers or election managers themselves.
Meticulous and accurate implementation of electoral procedures, and suitable skilled staff, are both key elements for the delivery of credible elections. EMBs need to ensure that all election officials, whether core staff or temporary workers, are well trained and acquainted with the necessary skills to apply high professional standards in the implementation of their technical work. EMB members and staff need appropriate skills and, most importantly, a commitment to the principles of electoral management, including integrity, impartiality, independence, transparency, efficiency and service-mindedness.
Context
Professional training prompts public trust that the entire process is “in good hands” and visible professionalism in an EMB gives political parties, civil society, voters, the media and other stakeholders the confidence that electoral managers are capable of undertaking their tasks effectively. A lack of visible professionalism in electoral management, on the other hand, will lead to public suspicions of inaccurate and perhaps fraudulent activity. Any lack of trust in the process will make it easier for complaints from those who did not win the election to find public support, whether the complaint is valid or not. In addition, the professionalization of election administrators will also enhance the autonomy of EMBs, making them less susceptible to political manipulation.
Unfortunately, the benefits of training and professional development activities are not immediately tangible and EMBs generally have a difficult time persuading governments and Ministries of Finance to approve budgets that contain sufficient funds for these activities.
Changes in electoral procedures and increasing sophistication of the processes are such that even the most experienced staff cannot rely on experience alone in order to adequately perform their tasks. Furthermore, EMBs must cope with the typical “brain drain” that often leads the most qualified staff to move to better paid positions in the private sector or with international organizations, and the consequent loss of institutional memory.
Inhibitors of 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.
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).
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, 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 sufficient time (although not necessarily 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.
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.
The Electoral Cycle Approach and The Provision of Electoral Assistance
The electoral cycle approach is a key instrument to facilitate understanding of the inter-dependence of different electoral activities, helping EMB officials and donors to plan and allocate resources for specific activities in a timelier fashion than in the past. In particular, it places an important emphasis on the post-electoral period as a significant moment of institutional growth and building of capacity, as opposed to a vacuum between elections. This offers an ideal opportunity for permanent EMBs to build the capacity of their staff.
The electoral cycle approach has also proved to be a formidable learning tool for electoral assistance providers, requiring adequate transfer of know-how, through long-term capacity building of local stakeholders. This in turn builds the capacity and professionalism of electoral administrators and allows them better plan for and implement their core tasks without external support.
The electoral cycle supports development agencies and partner countries to plan and implement electoral assistance within the democratic governance framework by thinking ahead 5 to 10 years, rather than reacting to each electoral event as it occurs. In order to achieve this, it is crucial to acknowledge at both the political and operational levels that every time a decision to support an electoral process is made, such a decision entails an overarching involvement and commitment to the democratic evolution of the concerned country far beyond the immediate event to be supported. Any decision to keep offering ad hoc electoral support, while this might still be acceptable at the political level, must be accompanied by the consideration that it will not solve the democracy gap in any partner country, but will instead trigger a more staggered process of development cooperation.
Indeed, the core mistake of past electoral assistance projects did not rest in the provision of ad hoc short term support, but in the belief that such support alone would suffice to ensure the sustainability of the following electoral processes, enduring results in the independence and transparency of the electoral management bodies concerned and the consequent democratic development of the partner country.
The electoral cycle approach is valuable in engaging other stakeholders in the process and providing them with tools to improve their assessment of times and roles for their action. Consequently, financial support should be linked to a longer-term and integrated strategy, which should include the electoral period as one phase of a longer-term democratization process.
Development Opportunities
The most comprehensive professional development opportunity available for electoral administrators is the Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) curriculum, jointly developed by International IDEA, the UN Electoral Assistance Division, the United Nations Development Programme, IFES and the Australian Electoral Commission.
BRIDGE is a comprehensive modular professional development program with a particular focus on electoral processes. Written by a large international team of experienced democracy professionals associated with the partner organizations, the curriculum represents the most ambitious attempt ever undertaken to cover the spectrum of electoral processes and their effective administration.
The Curriculum is made up of 16 stand-alone modules, covering all aspects of the electoral process. All modules can be customized to meet specific needs and contexts. All BRIDGE modules are available in English, with some or most of the modules also available in Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Russian. Read more about BRIDGE here.
ELearning Courses on Elections
E-Learning courses on elections provide a dynamic and interactive platform where election administrators, practitioners and stakeholders can deepen their knowledge and develop skills surrounding several topics within the theme of the electoral process. These courses are a vital capacity building tool that allow for professional development within the framework of a very technical field. Many E-Learning Courses on elections are the product of a collaborative effort between international institutions and organizations that operate in the field of elections, making the content internationally accessible.
To see which E-Learning courses are available in the field of elections, see our page on Extended Learning Opportunities.
There is also a strong case for EMB staff gaining graduate or postgraduate qualifications in electoral management and governance. Although there are a number of universities around the world that offer courses on electoral management and governance, there is still no B.A. or M.A. to be attained in this field.
To see graduate or postgraduate in the field of elections, see our page on Extended Learning Opportunities
