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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