Avoiding Integrity Problems Related to Insufficient Funding

The following measures can help deal with problems caused by lack of funds.

• Better planning. Plan longer in advance. Set aside funds for contingencies and inflation. Set priorities. Study opportunities for streamlining systems to raise efficiency and lower costs.
• Give attention to cost-effectiveness. Find ways of minimizing cost while maintaining effectiveness. Electoral administrators should try to use locally produced materials rather than expensive imports.
• Consider what the country can afford. Elections organized in countries undergoing a transition often receive foreign aid. This can lead to the adoption of electoral procedures that are beyond the country’s means and that cannot be used in subsequent elections without continued substantial foreign support. These countries therefore need to seek alternatives to costly imported equipment and develop affordable and sustainable systems.
• Diversify donor support. Countries that receive foreign aid should diversify their funding sources so that they are not dependent on only a few donors. This could help them avoid problems that might be created by the timing of donor funding and the different conditions that donors might impose on use of funds.
• Lobby for better funding. The electoral policy-making and management bodies could lobby the appropriate legislative offices and legislators for the support they need. Effective lobbying includes providing information on the problem—where the funds are needed, why they are needed and how they could make a difference. Information should be as specific as possible to justify the request for increased funding. The need for additional funding could be publicized in the media to garner public support. Public interest groups could be consulted and urged to join the lobbying activities.
• Streamline staff. Each employee should have a job description, come to work every day and be productive.