FOUNDATION MODULES
Introduction to Electoral Administration
Standards, principles and management techniques that are fundamental to good electoral practice;
Foundation module for further deepening study of elections in the specialised modules of the BRIDGE curriculum.
Strategic & Financial Planning
Planning and project management skills that underpin any successful electoral endeavour;
Foundation module for the operational planning thematic group of modules of the BRIDGE curriculum.
ELECTORAL ARCHITECTURE
Boundary Delimitation
Alternative approaches to boundary delimitation;
Main principles underlying a credible and acceptable boundary delimitation process;
Delimitation tasks such as allocating seats, producing databases of maps and data, evaluating district plans and preparing an operational plan for the conduct of a delimitation process.
Electoral Management Design
Elements of electoral management design, and categorise the main types of electoral management bodies;
How design and institutional culture affect the credibility of the electoral management body.
Electoral Systems
Alternative approaches to and classifications of electoral systems;
Main principles and criteria for electoral system design;
Implications of alternative electoral systems on the representation of various groups in society, on cost, and on the sustainability of institutions.
Electoral Technology
A framework for policy makers, electoral officials and electoral stakeholders to decide on the appropriate level of technology;
Overview of the state of the art of technological application in elections;
Sound management approach in introducing new technologies.
Legal Framework
Universally accepted standards of elections and how they apply through legal frameworks;
Elements of the legal framework and how they meet international standards for democratic elections;
Requirements of free access to the electoral process for candidates, voters and the media;
How integrity of the electoral process is guaranteed by the voting procedures, a transparent, accurate and rapid tabulation of results as well as by provisions for transparency in the legal framework;
A legal framework that can respond to complaints and violations.
ELECTORAL OPERATIONS
Electoral Security
Role of security as an integral element of elections;
How threats or hostile action against electoral personnel and processes can serve to undermine the goals of democratic elections, and affect election outcomes and the political composition of legislature;
Role of security in procurement, establishment, training and deployment of personnel and assets;
Issues associated with information security;
Role of military and police working with election management bodies;
Draft assessments of threat and risk;
Election security plan.
Electoral Training
Principles of training;
Implementation of training including needs assessment, training plans, training strategy, and logistical arrangements;
Concrete training skills.
External Voting
Principles of external voting (why have external voting and why not? What are the criteria for eligibility as an external voter? what is required to vote?)
Implementation of external voting including logistical arrangements (what are the voter registration method for external voters? What are the voting methods? Where do they vote and when?) including also cost of external voting;
Political impact of external voting;
Design of evaluation or reporting process of external voting activities.
Polling, Counting & Results
Tools to develop a thorough logistics plan for polling, counting and results;
Standards, principles and management techniques that are fundamental to good logistical planning;
Resources (human and material, sensitive and non-sensitive) required for Polling, Counting, Results;
Post-election Activities
Importance of the post-election period to electoral stakeholders, electoral officials and policy makers as the opportune moment for reflection and forward planning;
Aspects of sustainability as related to elections.
Pre-election Activities
Tools to develop a thorough logistics plan in a professional, ethical and confident way;
Complexity of the logistical operations of elections;
Importance of thorough planning of all aspects of elections;
Voter Registration
Principles of voter registration (why have registration? What are the criteria for eligibility?);
Legal foundations and three main types of voter register;
Major operational steps towards successful voter registration;
Alternative approaches to voter registration for election designers, policy makers and advocacy groups;
Logistical arrangements and implementation steps of a voter registration exercise.
WORKING WITH ELECTORAL STAKEHOLDERS
Access to Electoral Processes
Areas of the electoral process where access an issue – what access problems, what parts of the population are affected, and what solutions exist;
Networking opportunity for advocacy groups, as well as specific tools to analyze the electoral structures and procedures and develop strategies to promote access;
Importance of consultation processes throughout the electoral cycle – from post-election analysis through design of materials and procedures – in order to affect real improvement of access.
Civic Education
Principles of civic education;
Different types of civic programs;
Different mediums used in civic education programs;
Program Elements – Preparation, Design and Planning, Implementation, Issues and Evaluation;
Plan/program design for civic education in your country.
Electoral Assistance
Importance of a) seeing elections as a cycle rather than an event, b) credibility in the electoral process;
Good practice in electoral assistance, both from the perspective of those receiving and those giving.
Electoral Contestants
Electoral principles, structures and processes as they affect party and candidate representatives;
Nature and organization of political contests in order to effectively manage them;
Mechanisms for communication between EMBs and parties;
Technical, legal and operational aspects of candidate nominations in order to ensure a credible electoral process;
Conditions required to guarantee equitable access to media and the appropriate use of campaign finances, in order to establish a level playing field for all contestants.
Electoral Dispute Resolution
Bodies responsible for managing election conflicts and disputes;
Mechanisms used and their advantages and disadvantages;
Accepted standards and principles for dealing with conflicts and disputes;
Skills used in best practice in informal conflict management;
Typical court process and its advantages and disadvantages in dispute resolution.
Electoral Observation
Principles of electoral observation (why have observers? who should they be? what should they do?);
Electoral observation assessment guidelines and instruments;
Code of conduct for observers;
Plan for managing observers.
Gender & Elections
Why women's participation is important and how to improve it;
The electoral process and strategies to promote women's participation for women’s advocacy groups;
Tools to look at elections from a gender perspective;
Networking opportunity for women's advocacy groups.
Media & Elections
Electoral principles, structures and processes as they affect media regulation, campaign and election coverage and voter education;
Mechanisms for communication between EMBs and media in advance of an electoral process.
Voter Information
Principles of voter information and education;
Different types of voter information and education programs;
Different mediums used in voter information and education programs;
Program Elements – Preparation, Design and Planning, Implementation, Issues and Evaluation;
Plan/program design for voter information and education in your country.
