Benefits of liaison
The file on general observer activities - see Facilitating observer activities - sets out in some detail the role of observers
and their relationship to Electoral Management Officials. Domestic Observer Groups are more
likely to be dealing with issues on a long term basis and the same can apply to NGOs. Observer
Groups and NGOs can have very specific agendas and may not always appreciate the wide range
of responsibilities falling on electoral officials - if the election is not carried out in an efficient
manner the risk of any responsibility for this being attached to Observer Groups or NGOs is
extremely small. It is therefore important for there to be good quality liaison but it is in the
interests of both parties and particularly the electoral officials not to spend a disproportionate
amount of time dealing with intensive discussions about relatively narrow issues concerning the
electoral process.
The other core advice is to establish regular meetings (preferably of all the observer groups and
NGOs) with a defined agenda and the programme of meetings needs establishing at as early a
date as possible in the electoral process. This has the advantage of getting the views of all
organisations at the same time with the likelihood of a balanced assessment of the position. In
turn it is then easy for the electoral officials to give their perspective of the developing situation
once rather than multiple times and to respond to any points which they have been considering
from previous meetings.
The establishment of key person contacts is also a means of minimising duplication on both sides
particularly where an observer or NGO group is very large. The liaison groups and key person
contacts can be replicated at the various levels of the administration such as with National,
Regional and Local Election Commissions.
Guidance on the title of local electoral officials with whom issues should be raised again helps
minimise duplication
Philippines
The Philippines Electoral system features a considerable involvement by NGOs and the
Electoral Commission designates major NGOs through an official process to perform activities
such as poll watching, voter assistance, training and operation of the 'quick count' system of
getting unofficial reports on likely results. IFES prepared a technical assessment in July -
August 1995 29 setting out in some detail the scale of assistance by NGOs. There were
three major NGOs one dealing with the Quick Count, one with Voters Organisation, Training
and Education and one organising candidates fora and checking voter registration accuracy. The
national NGOs are supplemented by others at a local level. NGOs of this scale are unusual in that
they have the ability to cover all the nations 170,000 polling sites and to play a role in the
registration process. The IFES report also indicates that there was some criticism of the NGOs
for having their own agenda and also because it was felt that the Electoral Commission should
itself have the resources to carry out some of the work being undertaken by the NGOs.
NGOs and Observer Groups as a Resource
These organisations and groups can be an important source of assistance during the electoral
process. They can be contracted to provide specific services and in Bosnia /Herzegovina they
were considered to have the potential to provide a valuable contribution (technical election
assistance, voter education, political party training and election monitoring) to the Electoral
Process.30
Careful thought needs to be given to contracting arrangements as with any procurement and
particularly to ensure that none of the electoral participants will regard the use of NGO or
Observer Groups as partisan. Where the Groups are not looking for any payment their activities
can be of considerable benefit. The Electoral Manager may not have the resources to undertake in
depth studies of access facilities for disabled voters or of voting patterns for ethnic minority
groups whereas NGOS with specific interests in these areas can put in the resources required and
provide information for interested persons.
Evaluation
When the electoral event is over then part of the review process should include getting feedback
from Observer Groups and NGOs. Asking for a written report is a good starting point particularly
if the request can break down the various electoral activities for example voter registration, voter
education, absentee voting, polling sites, counts and so on and give the initial perspective of the
electoral manager on what problems occurred and what will be done to overcome these.
Once the written views of all the organisations are obtained a meeting to undertake an overall
assessment is one way of trying to strike a balance between the views of a number of
organisations some of which may have narrow interests and even on occasions a lack of
objectivity. Getting an 'average' view is often difficult because many organisations want to
publish their 'own' report as quickly as possible after the electoral process often without waiting
to discuss it with the electoral process organiser or any other group or organisation.
