Importance of Task Responsibility Assignment
In developing voting operations work plans, it is important that:
- each required task is identified;
- the time frames within which each task must be completed is specified;
- dependencies and relationships among the various tasks are clearly shown;
- specific persons or teams are assigned responsibility for each component task.
Without a clear assignment of responsibilities, which allows effective monitoring of performance, accountability mechanisms can break down. In the pressured environment of voting operations it is too easy for seemingly low level, yet critical, tasks to be forgotten unless individuals responsible are clearly identified and know that they have responsibility for their completion. For many voting operations tasks there is also an accompanying legal responsibility for their correct completion.
It is critical that those assigned responsibility for tasks are made fully aware of both their own responsibilities and how these inter-relate with other voting operations activities. Provision to all staff not only of the appropriate legislation, regulations, and rules, but preparation of manuals and checklists for all activities will assist with this. There is another more personal and positive aspect to responsibility assignment. Identifying and promoting individual accountabilities can raise staff self-fulfilment and lead to enhanced performance.
Task Assignment and Electoral Management Body Structure
The actual pattern of responsibility assignment will depend on the electoral management body's administrative structure and any legally defined accountabilities (see
Types of Electoral Management Bodies and
Centralised vs. Distributed Authority). Too many responsibilities assigned to centralised levels of authority both wastes any available expertise and stunts its further development in any local or field offices. This can also overload those who should be ensuring overall supply, quality, consistency, and integrity with distracting operational tasks at local levels.
Voting is a localised function. However, materials development and production, standards, procedures and quality control are generally more consistent and effective where centrally driven. Local functions--such as polling staff recruitment and training delivery, voting location determination, local logistics--can generally be more effectively conducted if responsibilities for their implementation are at the regional or local level.
Maintain Accountability for Service Provision
Many functions included in voting operations work plans will require contributions from different areas of the electoral management body and/or liaison between the electoral management body and other organisations. Where such liaison is required, work plans must identify the operational staff within the electoral management body with the accountability for task completion and the liaison structures that will be in place.
Where voting operations functions are contracted to other organisations, it is vital that accountabilities for ensuring these tasks are completed correctly are still assigned to specific persons within the electoral management body. These accountabilities should carry with them the task of implementing quality control measures (see
Materials Quality Control) to ensure that the products or services are provided at least to the standard required under contract.
Task Assignment in Voting Stations
At the voting station level, also, developing work plans that assign specific task responsibilities to particular staff can both increase the efficiency of training and assist in voter service, while maintaining some flexibility. (For further details on staff responsibilities in voting stations, see
Staff Categories and Duties.)
