Pakistan, Islamabad, Electoral Systems Module, IFES

Election Commission of Pakistan with the assistance of IFES arranged a four BRIDGE workshop on Electoral Systems module for its recently recruited Election Officers in Grade-17. The workshop was held at Margala Hotel, Islamabad from 20-23rd September, 2021. The workshop was aimed to enhance the professional capabilities of these new appointees by focusing on the development of their professional knowledge in respect of electoral management especially keeping in view the international perspective.

The workshop was facilitated by the following facilitators:

• Rushdi Nackerdien – Accrediting Facilitator
• Asif Ali Yasin – Accrediting Facilitator
• Naeem Ahmed – Workshop Facilitator
• Muhammad Sajjad Khattak – Workshop Facilitator
• Muhammad Aslam Brohi – Workshop Facilitator

The main contents of the sessions held during the workshop inter alia included the following:

• The Importance of Electoral Systems,
• Criteria for Free and Fair Elections
• Why Have Representatives?
• What is an Electoral System?
• Common Electoral Systems
• Electoral System Families
• Mixed Systems
• Other Systems
• Implications of Electoral Systems
• Electoral systems and under-represented Groups – Quotas for women
• How to design an electoral system strategically
• Direct Democracy Provisions
• Different Levels of Government, Electoral Systems for Presidential Elections and Local Government Systems
• Changing Electoral System: Electoral System Checklist

As the workshop was being held during time of pandemic therefore in view of difficulties and challenges involved in travelling, the physical presence of Rushdi Nackerdien was not possible therefore, he participated in the workshop through his virtual presence. He conducted virtual sessions during the workshop and delivered sessions on proportional system, design an electoral system strategically, electoral reform scenario etc. These virtual sessions enriched the professional capabilities of the participants which was quite evident in their evaluations and queries.

The participants were very keen to learn new aspects of election management and the types of different electoral systems being used across the globe. They carried out simulation exercises on FPTP, List PR and parallel systems with much interest and asked various questions to clarify their understandings of the concepts.

Activities designed to enhance participants’ understandings of working of different electoral systems were performed by them with much curiosity and their participation level was marvelous to say the least.

Participants appreciated the interactive methodology being used in BRIDGE

workshops. They acknowledged the idea of BRIDGE being activity-based, offering a

range of activities designed to convey clearly identified Key Understandings and

Learning Outcomes together with the methodology based on adult learning principles,

prioritizing teamwork and experiential learning.

In view of the enthusiastic response of the participants supplemented by positive impact of analysis of pre-assessment test and post-assessment test (having increased significant understanding of the electoral systems), the overall objective of the workshop was well achieved and hopefully, this will lay a strong foundation for the participants (the newly recruited election officers).