Introduction to Electoral Administration and Operational Planning Workshop for Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) Staff

To strengthen the credibility and inclusivity of sub-national elections in Nigeria, the Commission leadership and senior staff of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), participated in an intensive four-day Building Resources in Democracy, Governance, and Elections (BRIDGE) workshop on Electoral Administration and Operational Planning. The customized workshop was tailored to meet the needs of the newly constituted Commission and enhance their skills in electoral administration and operational planning. The workshop aimed to equip PLASIEC with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver transparent, credible, and participatory electoral processes at the sub-national level.

Workshop Highlights

Participants: The workshop was attended by 15 senior staff members (17 males and 8 females), all eager to learn and improve their electoral administration and operational planning capabilities.

Curriculum Focus: Infusing both theoretical and practical sessions, the workshop covered a comprehensive range of topics tailored to the participants’ needs, including:

• Principles of electoral administration
• Electoral systems
• Electoral management bodies
• Electoral security
• Combatting disinformation
• Voter education
• The importance of mainstreaming inclusion in the electoral process
• Building institutional excellence
• Operational planning 

The comprehensive curriculum facilitated learning through interactive group discussions, engaging role-plays, and hands-on exercises, encouraging participation among the participants. A key outcome was the development of a detailed election operations plan (EOP) to guide PLASIEC’s preparations for the local elections. The plan integrates pre-election, election, and post-election strategies tailored to the state’s political and electoral context, including programming for marginalized groups.

Impact:

Participants acknowledged the comprehensiveness of the BRIDGE curriculum in enhancing their capacity to perform their professional duties and deliver credible and inclusive electoral processes. By developing action plans, they demonstrated their commitment to applying their new knowledge and skills in their roles, showcasing their dedication to improving sub-national electoral processes with the insights gained from the workshop.

Participant Feedback:

The participants deeply appreciated IFES and its funding partners, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). In the final evaluation and reflection sessions, they appreciated the comprehensive BRIDGE curriculum, engaging training delivery, and inclusive learning environment, acknowledging the significant impact of the workshop on their knowledge and skills. Additionally, many participants sought to attend future BRIDGE sessions, eager to deepen their understanding of electoral processes and best practices

Certificates and Acknowledgments:

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants were awarded certificates of completion, symbolizing their readiness to implement the best practices learned. The workshop was expertly facilitated by Seray Jah (Lead Facilitator and Accrediting Facilitator), alongside co-facilitators Simon Fanto, Judith Mnguember Toryem, and Victor Ajine Enyi (Semi-accredited Facilitators).

This workshop represents a significant step forward in strengthening the electoral management capacity of sub-national EMBs in Nigeria, paving the way for more credible and inclusive electoral processes in the future.