Election Operational Management workshop, Nepal

17 September 2019

 

Report on

Electoral Operational

Planning Module

(Version 3)

 

6-7 September 2019, Kathmandu, Nepal

 

On the 6th and 7th September, the Election Commission, Nepal (ECN) organized a two-day Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) workshop on Electoral Operational Management in view of the upcoming by-elections scheduled for the 30th of November 2019. Nepal is holding by-elections for 51 vacant positions, including a parliamentary seat and three provincial assembly seats with the remaining seats being local-level positions.

The workshop took place at the Electoral Education and Information Centre (EEIC), which is within the premises of the ECN, and was attended by 26 participants, out of whom 6 were female participants. The participants included staff from the ECN’s headquarters representing various units of the organization and was organized in order to enhance the knowledge and skills of the ECN staff who are currently preparing the operational timeline for the approaching by-elections.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Electoral Operational Planning meeeting were:

  • To provide participants with an overall vision of the entire operational planning process.
  • To identify the main stages of election operational planning which will help in making elections credible.
  • To enable participants to prepare, implement and adjust a comprehensive operational planning process.
  • To support ECN in preparing Operational Planning for the upcoming by-election.

 

Inauguration and Closing Sessions

The Secretary of the ECN, Ms. Dev Kumari Guragain, stressed in her opening remarks that excellent planning in elections will contribute to credible and fair elections. The Chief Technical Advisor of the UNDP Electoral Support Project (ESP), Mr. Vincent da Cruz appealed to the participants to ensure that the reach of the workshop goes beyond them as individuals and beyond the upcoming by-elections to contribute to a a broader and lasting impact. The Joint Secretary of the ECN, Ms. Girija Sharma requested the particpants to maximize their learning during the two-day programme.

 

The workshop was supported by ESP with backing from the European Union.  This workshop was highly interactive and participants shared their knowledge and the by-election calendars that they prepared in their units. The participants were informed of different aspects and issues of Operational Planning. The workshop included sessions on the definition of operational planning, how is it different from strategic planning, steps and major components of the operational calendar, steps of operational planning and risks. Participants also prepared a master operational plan for upcoming by-elections.

 

The participants gave positive feedback during the closing session of the programme, in which they appreciated the information, the content, the practical sessions of preparing the operational calendar, operational plans of their respective units and also the opportunity to exchange their views, experiences and major tasks for the upcoming by-elections.  Mr Rudra  Prasad Subedi, Under Secretary (Deputy Attorney) , who was also a participant, stated that this two-day workshop fulfilled the expectations of the participants. He addeded that the workshop was important to help revise the draft election operational timeline that had already been prepared and add important details that an operations plan should contain.

 

The team of facilitators included:

  1. Mr Surya Prasad Aryal – Accrediting Facilitator, ECN
  2. Ms Nikila Shrestha – Accrediting Facilitator, UNDP
  3. Mr Kundan Das Shrestha – Accrediting Facilitator, UNDP
  4. Mr Chandra Siwakoti – Facilitator, ECN
  5. Mr Deshbandu Adhikari – Facilitator, ECN

 

Photos available at: www.bit.do/bridge-op-plan

 

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