EMB activities directed at
building internal capacity and strengthening the institution (as well as
electoral assistance projects which use advisers and consultants with
experience in other countries), need to be structured to ensure skills transfer
and capacity building - in order that the project’s achievements do not depart
with the advisers. In this context, each
EMB’s capacity development plan must take advantage of the instruments and
mechanisms that are already available for sharing and disseminating knowledge
and capacity building services at very affordable costs, and development
agencies should pay attention to the constant development of such instruments.
Effective electoral assistance passes through regular inter-institutional
contact and knowledge networks comprising electoral experts, electoral
officials and electoral assistance providers.
To meet
all of the challenges posed by the changing needs and increasing sophistication
of the administration of elections and in order to make electoral assistance more
effective, the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network
has considerably expanded its range of activities in the past two years. From the original concept of an on-line
repository of electoral knowledge, it has evolved into a much more dynamic
endeavour that contains an informative section called “Elections Today” with
articles that cover recent electoral events or a theme in election management,
an enlarged, updated and more comprehensive “ACE Encyclopedia” on almost
all relevant aspect of the electoral process with more than 10,000 pages of documentation and a continued emphasis on sustainability, professionalism
and trust in the electoral process.
Other key features of the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network are the “Comparative Data” section and “Electoral Materials”, where users can
find comparative information and examples of how electoral activities and
processes are managed elsewhere. The most dynamic features of ACE are
concentrated in the sections “Electoral
Advice”, where around 200 electoral experts provide on-demand advice to
fellow practitioners, academics and electoral officials from all over the world,
and “Regions and Countries”,
containing updated electoral information on almost all countries by affiliated
resource centres. Both sections are managed by International IDEA with funding
from the EC and the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF).
Even though still in its pilot phase, the advice provided by the ACE
Electoral Knowledge Network to electoral planners through this network of
experts has had an impact on how a number of recent electoral assistance
projects have been formulated and are being implemented. The sharing of
successes and failures of electoral support initiatives in different legal and
institutional frameworks avoids the repetition of mistakes made elsewhere and
the typical “re-invention of the electoral wheel” that has plagued so many
electoral assistance projects in the past. The establishment of the ACE Regional Centres
in geographically strategic locations worldwide has enlarged the global
dimension of ACE by adding specific regional-focused activities and
perspectives on various facets of the electoral process well beyond the mere
collection of information at the country and regional level. The
ACE Regional Centres 
should serve as knowledge hubs for the generation, sharing
and application of electoral knowledge to future electoral assistance projects
characterised by a demand-driven and partner country-led approach which will be
highly contextualised to the regions and countries in which it will be applied.
In addition they should foster the regional cooperation between electoral administrators
that has proved to be a useful tool to enhance the credibility and sustainability
of electoral processes.
Also part of the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network is
the creation of a Capacity Development Facility intended to promote
partnerships between EMBs for the purpose of sharing lessons and building
capacities jointly. The Capacity Development Facility is being undertaken as a
pilot in Southern Africa
by EISA with the support of UNDEF. Initially, it will focus on the creation of
capacity development tools and methodologies based on ACE knowledge services,
such as the encyclopaedia and comparative data, and will provide technical
support to EMBs and facilitate participation by EMB staff in training
programmes and peer exchanges for improved electoral administration.
Furthermore, new complementary knowledge services products offered by
initiatives like “I Know Politics”,
an on-line workspace dedicated to the promotion of women’s participation in
politics and equal gender representation in elected institutions, and the
Reconciliation and Resource Network exemplify the growing importance and
potential application of these instruments in building the capacity of recipient
countries’ stakeholders.
The other significant instrument already in use for quickly and
cost-effectively building EMB internal capacity is the BRIDGE project. BRIDGE stands for
Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections, and it is the most
comprehensive professional development course available in the field of
election administration, already utilised in 25 countries for more than 3,000
election officials. It offers an excellent
platform for the timely delivery of a capacity building program. Non-prescriptive
and participatory, BRIDGE has recently been expanded and updated by 50 experts
from all regions, adding diversity of practical experiences and underpinned by
the latest publications on specific topics (including IDEA’s Handbook series,
UN/UNDP’s series of Handbooks, and the body of content generated through the
ACE Electoral Knowledge Network). The BRIDGE curriculum framework has two
Foundation Modules and 21 other modules divided into three thematic areas:
Electoral Architecture, Dealing with Stakeholders and Electoral Operations.
While the primary BRIDGE target remains EMB officials, its modules and
methodology are easily adjusted and tailored to the needs of other categories
of stakeholders such as parliamentarians, media, civil society, universities
and security forces. It can also be tailored for specific reorientation and
professional development courses for electoral assistance providers and development
agencies. Particularly following post-electoral review, BRIDGE could play a
prominent role in effective assistance programming by institutionalising best
practices and including recommendations of observers and stakeholders in
strategic planning and institutional reform.
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