Once a detailed budget has been prepared, the next step is to acquire funds from the appropriate government or non-government source. The success of this process will depend on the care taken to prepare the business case and the budget. Clear benefits identified in the business case, and a thoroughly prepared budget, are more likely to persuade sources of funds to provide the necessary cash.
The need for new technology will have to be 'sold' to funding authorities. The accompanying business case needs to set out the costs and benefits of introducing the technology. In many cases, technology will lead to increased costs. In these cases, the non-material benefits will need to be stressed, such as increases in accuracy, speed and efficiency. In other cases, particularly over the long term where technological applications replace costly manual processes, new technology may lead to substantially reduced costs. These cases are usually easier to 'sell', however care needs to be taken with the budget to ensure that all costs are factored in.
It may help to sell a proposal if the election management body is able to identify similar applications in use in other jurisdictions. Pointing to the successful implementation of a similar system elsewhere will serve both to clarify likely implementation costs and to prove the feasibility of the proposal.
It may be possible in some situations to use innovative funding mechanisms, such as joint ventures or leaseback arrangements. In these cases care needs to be taken to ensure that the electoral management body (EMB) behaves ethically. Any arrangements entered into should not compromise an EMBs integrity either as a purchaser of goods and services or as an electoral authority.
Once agreement has been obtained to provide funds, it is important to ensure that funding is available in time for adequate development, testing and implementation of the new technology. A common, and often disastrous, scenario can occur when funding is provided late in the electoral cycle and there is insufficient time for selection, testing and implementation of new technology. The amount of time needed for introducing new technology should not be underestimated. Again, it would be useful to learn from the experiences of other EMBs and determine how long it has taken to implement a similar system elsewhere.
As a general rule of thumb, ensure that plenty of time is available for implementation of new technology, as it usually takes longer than expected.
Depending on the circumstances, international funding may be available. This will apply where external funding is an option, particularly where aid is being provided by other Governments or by Non-Government Organisations (NGOs).
For further detail see Use of International Funding
