Election Commission of Nepal successfully completes BRIDGE TtF Program in November 2018
4 December 2018
Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) organised a 10-day BRIDGE Train the Facilitator (TtF) program in Hotel View Bhrikuti, Kathmandu, Nepal from 16-26 November 2018 in partnership with BRIDGE implementing partners in the country (IDEA International, IFES and UNDP Electoral Support Project – ESP).
Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) organised a 10-day BRIDGE Train the Facilitator (TtF) program in Hotel View Bhrikuti, Kathmandu, Nepal from 16-26 November 2018 in partnership with BRIDGE implementing partners in the country (IDEA International, IFES and UNDP Electoral Support Project – ESP). This is the fifth BRIDGE TtF conducted in Nepal since the initiation of BRIDGE program in the country in 2008.The previous four BRIDGE TtF programs in Nepal took place in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2015. This TtF was conducted in Nepali language and facilitated by the Nepalese facilitators – Surya Prasad Aryal (Lead Facilitator), Radhika Regmi, Nikila Shrestha, Kundan Das Shrestha and Chandra Bahadur Shiwakoti. The financial support was provided by UNDP ESP.
The recent “Evaluation of the Impact of BRIDGE program in Nepal” conducted in 2018 has recommended to increase the opportunities for the workshop accreditation of more facilitators in order to increase the ECN’s capacity to conduct BRIDGE events more often and to more audiences. Following the recommendation, the BRIDGE Coordination Committee (representing the ECN and the BRIDGE partner organisations), in consultation with Election Commission, decided to conduct BRIDGE TtF for the professional capacity development of the ECN staff working in headquarters and in its field offices. The main aim of the program was to provide opportunity for ECN officials to be future BRIDGE facilitators. There was a total of 19 participants in TtF out of which 16 were from ECN and one participant each from IFES, IDEA and Nepal Administrative Staff College – an institution providing training for government officials in the country.
The program was inaugurated by the Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Ayodhee Prasad Yadav in presence of other Election Commissioners, Secretary, Joint Secretary and Heads of BRIDGE implementing partners in Nepal. The Commission plans to organise three workshops in December 2018 in order to provide opportunity to accredit recently trained TtF participants. The formal closing of TtF took place on 26 November 2018 where the Chief Election Commissioner distributed certificate of successful completion of program to the participants. He also encouraged all participants to continue their own professional development and also of the electoral stakeholders through BRIDGE programs.