IFES conducted a BRIDGE workshop on electoral training

On April 25-27, 2017, IFES Ukraine in cooperation with the joint IFES-Central Election Commission (CEC) Administrative Center for the Training of Elections Process Participants and with the financial support USAID and Global Affairs Canada conducted a BRIDGE modular workshop on Electoral Training.

The aim of the workshop was to provide participants with knowledge and skills on planning and implementing the Electoral Operation Training Program. The workshop engaged participants on the concept of the training cycle; needs assessment procedures; various methodological approaches (such as cascade, simultaneous or mobile team model); logistics and budgeting of the training; operational plan preparation and its coordination with other departments; selection of trainers and development of training materials; monitoring and evaluation of the training program.

This BRIDGE module was conducted in Kyiv, Ukraine, and hosted by the joint IFES-CEC Administrative Center for the Training of Election Process Participants.

The workshop was held in the Ukrainian language and was conducted by workshop-level facilitators Alyona Dolya, Yevheniia Pavlovska and semi-accredited facilitator Alyona Sheshenya. The workshop gathered twenty-four representatives (out of which 16 were male and 8 female) of the CEC, CSOs along with experts working in the sphere of electoral training.

Participants agreed on the importance of a proper planning and organization of trainings in the electoral sphere. Since all training materials are based on the electoral legislation, all participants stressed the need of adapting complex legislative language and developing user-friendly training materials, such as manuals and memos, for members of election commissions.

All sessions were highly interactive and enabled participants to practice all steps of the training cycle. Participants had the opportunity to try themselves in the role of a training organizer during the “Make it happen” session, and developed their skills of planning and implementing training programs.

The ultimate goal of the training was to change participants’ approach to implementing professional operational training programs and to provide them with theoretical and practical knowledge for future work in this sphere.