Final BRIDGE Partner meeting for 2024

Celebrating BRIDGE Achievements: Implementation Highlights 2021-2024

BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance, and Elections) is fast approaching the completion of its Strategic Plan 2020-2024. As we reflect on the past four years, our achievements stand as a testament to collective dedication, innovation, and partnership. Under the guidance of 2021-2024 Implementation Plan, the BRIDGE community has reinforced its role as a global leader in electoral training and capacity-development. Together, we adapt to new challenges and modernise tools and processes to meet the evolving needs of democracies worldwide.

Key Achievements

1. Celebrating 20 years of impact: In September 2022, BRIDGE marked its 20^th anniversary. It was a moment celebrated globally and included a landmark exhibition at the United Nations headquarters, Celebrating the 20th anniversary of BRIDGE – BRIDGE. The exhibition underscored BRIDGE’s two decades of contributions to electoral excellence and its role as a globally recognised resource in election management and democratic governance.

Since 2001 over 2,500 BRIDGE workshops (including 196 Train the Facilitator courses) have been conducted:

• in more than 116 countries
• with participants from more than 120 countries
• for over 21,393 participants
• with 1,956 facilitators globally. BRIDGE Today – BRIDGE

2. Curriculum evolution and innovation: a top priority has been maintaining and updating BRIDGE’s renowned curriculum. The release of version 3 included updating all existing modules and adding Financing of Electoral Processes and Building Institutional Excellence in Elections, ensuring the curriculum meets modern electoral challenges. Additionally, the introduction of a program of regular ‘curriculum updates’, as modular enhancements, promises flexibility and relevance in response to emerging trends in electoral administration.

As part of the bi-monthly BRIDGE Partner meetings, the Secretariat uses reports from the BRIDGE Portal to present data trends progressively over a three-year period. From January 2022 to October 2024, the most frequently delivered BRIDGE module was the ‘customised workshop’. Customised workshops are individually designed, selecting content from more than one module to meet identified local needs. Customised modules often include sections from Introduction to Electoral Administration, Legal Framework and Reform, Gender Equality and Elections and Voter and Civic Education modules. The most frequently delivered module is Introduction to Electoral Administration followed by the Train the Facilitator (TtF) course.

3. Enhanced support for BRIDGE facilitators: recognising the importance of its facilitator community, BRIDGE has bolstered engagement through surveys and virtual Communities of Practice (CoP). The two well-attended CoP events in February and June 2024 brought together facilitators across the globe, strengthening community ties and sharing insights. At the February event there were 174 unique participants out of 358 registrations and at the June event, 96 unique participants out of 220 registrations. Those who registered were able to watch a post-event You Tube post. This move marks a new era for BRIDGE, leveraging digital tools to connect and support its facilitators more efficiently and regularly.

4. Evaluating BRIDGE: In 2020 the Partners conducted an online global survey. A total of 490 facilitators took the survey, although some did not answer all questions. The results were overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the relevance, usefulness and impact of BRIDGE over time. Lessons learned from the survey have been applied to ongoing BRIDGE delivery and development.

5. Technological advancements: BRIDGE redesigned its website and facilitator Portal in 2021 to centralise resources and enhance accessibility. Following an in-depth evaluation in 2024, the website continues to be a critical tool for BRIDGE’s global reach and serves as a hub for program administration, content sharing, and community building. Regular emails to facilitators from the BRIDGE Portal on targeted topics are a new and effective communication tool warmly received by the CoP.

6. Leadership and governance enhancements: BRIDGE Partners have taken significant strides to ensure effective governance and oversight. A major milestone was the renewal of the BRIDGE Partner Agreement letter, securing commitments through 2026. This update, alongside reviews of BRIDGE standards and procedures, reflects the Partners’ commitment to sustaining high-quality program delivery. The pandemic allowed the Partners to adapt and continue their regular bi-monthly schedule of engagements in a virtual setting, including the introduction of dedicated, twice-yearly, roundtable discussions of key policy topics.

7. Addressing challenges with resilience: While BRIDGE celebrated milestones, it also encountered challenges. Aligning resources across the Partnership and adapting to emerging needs in the electoral space required careful reflection, collaboration, and adaptive planning. Examples include recognition and adjusted accreditation processes for facilitators and developing a sustainable curriculum update schedule.

Additionally, the unusual circumstances of COVID-19 resulted in delivery of online BRIDGE. In turn, a Facilitator Guidance for Online Workshops 2021 was created to support the facilitator community at this challenging time. Ultimately, BRIDGE transitioned out of COVID-19 with the adoption of hybrid BRIDGE workshops, utilising both online and face-to-face elements. Pleasingly BRIDGE has now returned to face-to-face delivery all around the world, still the preferred and most rewarding BRIDGE delivery method.

The sustainability of BRIDGE is at the forefront of our strategic and implementation plans, along with prioritising broader capacity development efforts. The Train the Facilitator course, the third most chosen BRIDGE event, has been a key vehicle to ensure a renewal of the BRIDGE facilitator community. This, along with other initiatives, has refined BRIDGE’s strategy, ensuring it remains responsive and resilient to future demand.

A look ahead: The Implementation Plan’s renewal phase (July-December 2024) sets the foundation for the future of BRIDGE, aligning with the upcoming Strategic Plan 2025-2029. Key areas for growth include deepening connections with institutions like the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network. We also focus on integrating technologies for streamlined administration, expanding engagement opportunities with the facilitator community and providing regular curriculum updates to reflect current best practices.

BRIDGE stands well-prepared to continue delivering transformative electoral training and professional development worldwide. The days ahead promise continued innovation, collaboration, and excellence—hallmarks of BRIDGE’s commitment to advancing democratic governance.