A crucial element of the process of implementing new technology is the appointment of a responsible management structure for the project.
The type of management structure adopted for any particular project will depend on the size of the organisation and the complexity of the project. However some general principles can be discussed.
As a general rule, a major technology project management structure should include or report directly to the chief executive of the election management body (EMB). This is a reflection of the importance of technology in electoral administration. Technology has become so crucial to the successful conduct of elections that senior management should be heavily involved in its implementation.
An EMB's technology management structure could be established under the EMB's overall information technology strategy (see Developing an Overall Information Technology Strategy). This will ensure that there is a consistent approach across the EMB to managing technology and that appropriate managers are aware of the overall context in which a particular project sits.
A typical EMB technology management structure might include:
- A high-level policy committee chaired by the chief executive (or reporting directly to the chief executive) and including appropriate senior managers, responsible for setting overall policy, receiving reports from lower-level committees and giving approval to projects
- A medium-level committee for each major project or set of projects, chaired by the responsible senior manager (a member of the high-level committee) and including a mix of managers and technical officers from all areas with a stake in the project, responsible for overseeing the project, reporting to the high-level committee, receiving reports from the lower-level technical committee and giving approval to more detailed aspects of the project
- A lower-level technical committee for each project, chaired by a member of the medium-level committee and including a mix of project and technical officers with direct involvement in the project, responsible for day-to-day oversight of the technical operation of the project and for reporting to the medium-level committee.
The main purposes of a technology management structure are to set the overall information technology strategy, and to approve and monitor the implementation of the various stages of a project development and implementation strategy. Higher level committees concern themselves with issues of general policy and strategic direction, medium level committees ensure that projects are being conducted according to the specified project strategy, and lower-level technical committees ensure that all the technical details are covered.
In particular, technology management committees are a means to ensure that timelines are followed and standards are met. Projects that run late, skip crucial tests or cut corners on standards are recipes for disaster in the electoral field. It is management's responsibility to ensure that realistic timelines and standards are set in the first place. Management should also be responsible for contingency planning in case problems arise.
It is also important that responsibilities are clearly defined, so that responsible officers are able to proceed with certainty and that all aspects of a project are covered. Areas of responsibility can be clearly set out in the project development and implementation plan.
Senior managers involved in technology management do not have to possess technology skills or knowledge, but they would be a distinct advantage. As electoral operations become more and more dependent on technology, so will management policies and decisions increasingly come to involve technological issues. Managers without direct technology skills or knowledge will have to rely on technical advisors. To avoid complete dependence on others or make poorly informed decisions, managers would be well advised to gain technological skills of their own.
The number of senior managers without technical expertise is likely to decrease over time. As technology becomes more common in EMBs and other agencies, and as a wider range of staff become more dependent on technology, staff being recruited to senior management will be more likely to have a background in technology. This should serve to improve the management of technology in the future.
