Question:

This question is posted by ACE on behalf of an anonymous ACE member 

I am trying to organise training programs related to election security planning for police officers. The mandate of our organisation is to support ongoing Peacekeeping missions with advisory and technical assistance on range of police matters, as supporting local police in election security has often been the task of UN Police officers. We want to organise a training program that covers the entire spectrum of the election process and potential security concerns. Targets of the training will be police planning and operational officers in field missions that will be responsible for developing and implementing election security plans. The training should take place as early as possible within the next three months. Could practitioners provide examples of training programs that are already developed or any training providers that could customize the training needs for my organisation?

Summary of Responses:

Practitioners provided examples of several training programs and resources relevant to election security planning for police officers, including the Electoral Violence Investigation Framework by Creative Associates (see attachment in original post below); Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE); USAID's electoral security framework and best practices guide; IFES' electoral security training curriculum and simulation (contact ACE user Vasu Mohan for information); the International IDEA Electoral Risk Management (ERM) tool; and the Secure and Fair Elections (SAFE) workshop developed by International IDEA, the United Nations Development Programme and the Electoral Integrity Project.

Practitioners noted that available resources provide a solid framework for approaching election security planning. A good practice is to examine electoral security in the context of the electoral cycle and work closely with the election management body (EMB) to assess which steps may require direct or indirect policing. Processes must be adapted to the circumstances and needs of each country and election to take both predictable and unpredictable security threats into account.

One practitioner described the role of police in the Ecuadorian electoral process. Police are charged with delivering the ballot boxes to polling stations and securing them until Election Day. On Election Day, they act as security at polling stations and ensure that ballot boxes are not tampered with. After polls are closed, police transport the ballot boxes to provincial boards where votes are tallied.  This method was supported by a second practitioner, who also cited the importance of layout, planning, and surveys by security personnel to prevent election violence.

Another practitioner discussed the security process in preparation for the 2015 Nigerian general election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) created the Inter-Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), which was comprised of all Nigerian security sector agencies, to institutionalize election security. The Nigerian police force also created a Special Unit on Election Security. ICCES employed several models in their security development, including the ERMtool. INEC additionally developed an Electoral Security Modular Training for Security Agencies focused on the difference between national security and domestic election security. It trained officers on collateral damage prevention, electoral and human rights, operational guidelines, ethical issues on Election Day, and other areas. The modules and methodology were revised to allow for cascade training at the State and local level.

Contributing Members:

• Liqabang Macheli
• Erik Asplund
• Francisco Morales Gomez
• Jeff Fischer
• Vasu Mohan
• Ifeanyichukwu Agoha
• Kisimba Lumbwe Albert
• Atem Oben Henry Ekpeni
• Charles Ochieng

BRIDGE is the most relevant and appropriate training provider that I know with the relevant module of Electoral Security. Please try and use it for training of police. I really believe it will address all your needs and meet all expectations.

One resource that may be relevant is International IDEA, UNDP and EIP's Secure and Fair Elections (SAFE) Model curriculum. This curriculum provides insight  into the principles, challenges and good practices related to electoral security. The curriculum includes: 14 modules and 9 practical sessions. The curriculum can be found on International IDEA's website:  http://www.idea.int/publications/safe-workshop-model-curriculum/

Moreover, The International IDEA Electoral Risk Management Tool (ERMTool) includes various resources that may be useful for a training on election security. For example, the guides on factors of election-related violence internal and external to electoral process are designed to increase users knowledge and understanding of factors that could potentially trigger or contribute to triggering election related violence. Also I can recommend that you have a look at the guide on action points for the prevention and mitigation of election-related violence. This guide takes a 3 tier approach, improved election management and justice (which speaks to EMBs and EDRBs), improved election security (which speaks to security sector agencies) and improved infrastructure for peace (which speaks to other actors that have an interest in peaceful and credible elections such as CSOs). In total this guide includes 100 action points (each of which includes a country and election examples) designed to inspire users  in designing strategies to prevent and mitigate electoral risks. The ERMTool and the various knowledge resources are all available on International IDEA’s website:  http://www.idea.int/elections/ermtool/

BRIDGE means Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections. For you to conduct BRIDGE course, you must be a BRIDGE Facilitator, if not you have to get one. Firstly you inform BRIDGE of your planned event-workshop, you will be advised of how to go about it. Now that there are tools from IDEA and UNDP, it is going to be perfect. Please get into the bridge website, www.bridge_project.org

Amigo Heather Szilagyi, la presencia de las fuerzas armadas en un proceso electoral, es uno de los elementos vitales que garantizan seguridad de cada uno de los pasos de los comicios. En Ecuador existen planes de seguridad que tiene el carácter de reservados, empieza desde la propia elaboración de las papeletas electorales, tiene a su cargo el Instituto Geográfico Militar, quien esta dotado de elementos técnicos y seguridades para cada una de las papeletas electorales que utilizan los ciudadanos; luego que empresas privadas organizan los kits para cada junta receptora del voto; procede as fuerzas armadas a transportar a cada una de la provincias desde una semana anterior a las elecciones, en vehículos, lanchas y aviones del Ejercito; ya en el lugar de los recintos electorales, custodian los paquetes electorales, hasta el día y hora que se posesionan los miembros de la Juntas electorales, a quienes proceden a entregarlas.. luego se encargan de custodiar la paz y normal funcionamiento de las elecciones en cada recinto electoral, concluidos los escrutinios se cierran los paquetes electorales y las fuerzas armadas son las encargadas de transportar los documentos de cada mesa electoral hasta los lugares en donde funcionan las Juntas Intermedias y las Juntas provinciales para los escrutinios y promulgación de resultados, mientras dura el escrutinio y promulgación de resultados las fuerzas armadas custodian en las bodegas los paquetes electorales. Ademàs en mi país, los miembros de las fuerzas armadas y policía tienen derecho a voto en forma opcional, quienes sufragan en los mismos recintos en donde dan seguridad.- Estos elementos espero que pueda de alguna manera servirle para organizar su plan de seguridad adecuada a la naturaleza de las elecciones y la forma de organización que tenga las fuerzas armadas en su paìs... Saludos cordiales. 

Attached is the Electoral Violence Investigation Framework which was developed by Creative Associates to guide police in their investigation of such crimes.

IFES electoral security training curriculum & simulation have been customized and used for police training in several countries most recently in Georgia and at an ASEAN regional program. While this curriculum is not available in the public domain yet, please contact me if you would like to take a look at the components.

You will recall that Election Security issues was one of the critical challenging factors that faced the Electoral Commission in Nigeria before the 2015 General Elections. The reasons are not far fetched considering the violence that trailed the 2011 General Elections that was adjudged to be free and fair, the Boko Haram insurgency and challenge of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North Eastern part of the country and militants in the South-South region. Interestingly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hereinafter referred to as the Commission has to develop an election security architecture that deployed various models including INT.IDEA / AU ERM tool, institutionalisation of Inter Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) Committee, that comprises of all Nigerian Security Sector Agencies and finally, Training on Election Security for Election Officials and Security Agencies on Election duty. 

Noting the difference between National Security and Election Security, the Commission developed an Electoral Security Modular Training for Security Agencies particularly to avoid collateral damage while engaging on election duty. This is premised on the fact that National Elections impinges on national security but the dispositions of the security agencies are supposed to be different in National Elections as against issues of National Security because of the civil nature of National Elections.

The Course contents covered such areas; Security of Elections, The Electoral Processes, Ethical Issues on Election Day, Election Security and Human Rights, The Role of Security Personnel at Elections, Electoral Offences, Offenders and Penalties, Standard Security Operational Guidelines and special focus on IDPs and Elections. The modules are been revised and the methodology for the training reviewed to accommodate cascading it to the States and Local Governments Areas. It is important to note that the Nigerian Police that is statutorily empowered to secure elections in Nigeria has created a Special Unit on Election Security, which was a fall out of the Election Security Training by the Commission.

I am convinced that the Nigerian experience will go a long way to assist in developing the training, else for further inquiries, contact Mr. Agoha.

Agoha Ifeanyichukwu

Assistant Director, Training &

Coordinator, INEC Electoral Risk Management (ERM) Team

Bien que BRIDGE soit une référence dans le domaine de la formation, il est important que vous spécifiiez d’abord :

-          Dans quel contexte vous compter organiser ces formations ;

-          Quel  est l’environnement politique et sécuritaire du pays ;

-          Pourquoi  cette formation est importante dans pays.

-          Quel est le plan logistique de l’Organe de gestion des élections ;

-          Cette formation est-elle la première du genre dans ce contexte….

Je pense qu’à partir de ce départ BRIDGE et tous les autres Experts  seront dans la mesure de vous orienter efficacement. 

Below are documents you may want to draw inspiration from in implementing your program. It is best practice to look at electoral security from the viewpoint of an electoral cycle, working with the EMB to make an assessment of the steps involved in electoral security that may be directly or indirectly linked with policing. Electoral Security has in recent years broaden with the introduction of electoral technology. An assessment of the needs and stages of interest in the electoral cycle in designing or developing a curriculum for the training of security officers is imperative. The BRIDGE Project offers a whole module on Electoral Security which may be very valuable for your program. The chain of processes may differ from country to country based on the electoral security history. However, analyzing the current political and electoral environment also play an important role in developing tools that take in to account any unforeseen security threat to election administration. 

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1866/1-Electoral-Security-Framework.pdf

https://yali.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/01/Electoral-Security-Best-Practices-USAID.pdf

https://info.undp.org/docs/pdc/Documents/ZMB/00061731_Support%20for%20Training%20for%20Law%20Enforcement.pdf

http://toolkit-elections.unteamworks.org/?q=webfm_send/267

critical to management of security at the electoral centers where votes are cast,tallied etc should be physical security planning and security survey of the facilities and venues to be used as facilities for purposes of elections.Attention must be made  regarding adequate suitable space,proper signage and labeling of facilities,free movement,demarcation of queening areas ,set up of proper queening management system,designated adequate parking areas slightly away from voting venues.Proper physical layout and adequate well planned voting venue is critical to good security management and prevention of election violence during the polling day.