Voter and Civic Education

The United Nations Integrated Electoral Assistance Team (IEAT) in South Sudan implemented a four-day BRIDGE modular workshop, Voter and Civic Education, for State High Election Committee (SHEC) members and UN IEAT state representatives.

The workshop, conducted in Juba, South Sudan from November 19-22, was led by BRIDGE Accrediting Facilitators Natia Kashakashvili and Shalva Tskhakaya and co-facilitated by national TtF Complete facilitators: John Kuot Kuany Diing, Barnaba Mayor Deng, Bior John Bullen Alier. Twenty-nine participants (6 female and 23 male) attended the workshop.

The workshop aimed to provide participants with a foundational understanding of Civic and Voter Education, based on the eight step approach, while emphasizing widely accepted principles of voter and civic education, various tools and techniques necessary for effective planning and implementation of the VCE process. It focused on building knowledge on NEC CVE strategy and international best practices in developing massages, cooperating with stakeholders, monitoring the CVE process, assessing its success while ensuring clarity, impartiality and universality. Additionally, participants were introduced to the key target groups, traditional and modern tools of communication and monitoring and evaluation plan from the NEC CVE strategy.

Below is the outline of the workshop structure:

1. Foundation of Civic and Electoral Education

·      Defining Civic Education, Electoral Education, and Voter Information Programs

o  Clarify the distinctions and interconnections between these concepts.

·      Rationale and Mandate of Voter and Civic Education Programs

o  Explore the legal, ethical, and social reasons for such programs.

·      Principles/Standards of Voter and Civic Education Programs

o  Discuss best practices and ethical considerations.

2. Planning and Development

·      Eight Steps in VCE Program Development and Implementation

o  Focus on “Establishing Focus” as a starting point.

·      Understanding Learners: Target Groups and Their Needs

o  Analyze different demographic groups and their informational needs.

·      Why People Vote and Youth Participation

o  Explore psychological and motivational factors behind voting.

o  Discuss strategies for engaging young voters.

·      Understanding the Voter Mood and Designing Surveys

o  Techniques for gauging public sentiment and conducting research.

·      Selecting VCE Objectives

o  Define clear, measurable goals based on research findings.

·      Assessing Available Resources for VCE Programs

o  Inventory existing resources (human, financial, and material).

3. Strategy Design

·      Designing Voter and Civic Education Programs: Key Considerations

o  Address cultural sensitivity, accessibility, and inclusivity.

·      Voter Information Methods

o  Compare traditional and modern approaches (e.g., social media, workshops).

·      NEC CVE Strategy Presentation

o  Case study from the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

o  Designing SHEC implementation plan based on the NEC CVE strategy

4. Design of CVE program

·      Design Elements: Determining Key Messages

o  Develop focused, impactful messages tailored to target audiences.

·      CVE Products: Face-to-Face Activities, Youth Involvement, Voter Guides, Fact Sheets, FAQs

o  Brainstorm and create prototypes for these products.

5. Implementation and Evaluation

·      Designing CVE Activities

o  Plan engaging, actionable activities for community outreach.

·      Monitoring and Evaluation

o  Establish frameworks for measuring program effectiveness.

The workshop was opened by the representatives of UN IEAT and the National Elections Commission of the Republic of South Sudan. Participants enjoyed the workshop, BRIDGE learning methodology and training techniques. They provided feedback at the end of each day on the content as well as the conduct of the workshop through verbal and written evaluations. Key points of the written evaluation forms are outlined below:

1. Most Useful/Valuable Aspects

• Content & Delivery: Practical exercises, interactive sessions, and relatable examples (e.g., South Sudan context) were highly appreciated. Key topics like designing CVE activities, VCE objectives, and understanding voters’ mood were practical and engaging.
• Facilitators: Praised for clarity, professionalism, and participatory methods.
• Relevance: Sessions on youth participation, target groups, and CVE message creation were directly applicable to participants’ work.

2. Comments & Recommendations

• Strengths: Organized, professional, and motivational with clear content and effective delivery.
• Improvements: Extend group discussion time, provide more clarity on complex topics, use videos, and distribute session materials.
• Logistics: Encourage female participation, extend workshop duration, and consider accommodating all participants at a venue.

3. Other Feedback

• Participants valued the facilitators’ commitment and group activities. Suggestions included refresher training, more electoral procedure topics, and integrating participant contributions into materials.

The feedback underscores the effectiveness of the training while highlighting areas for improvement, particularly in terms of contextualization, practical application, and training duration.

The workshops were closed by the representatives of UN IEAT and the NEC. All the participants were awarded certificates of completion.

By the end of the workshop, Barnaba Mayor Deng has received the certificate of accreditation as a BRIDGE Workshop Facilitator.