Enterprise Wide Electoral Risk Management Training

Since the conclusion of the 2017 general elections, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been working to further enhance its capacity in risk management. It has developed a Risk Management Framework for an enterprise-wide risk management strategy that would enable the Commission to comply with the Government of Kenya requirements, but also incorporate election-specific risks into a comprehensive framework.

In order to implement its Risk Management Framework, IEBC has developed the following documents and tools:

• Risk Management Policy;
• Compliance Policy;
• Risk Maturity Report;
• Risk Register; 
• Compliance Register;
• Risk Management Policy Statement; and
• Risk and Compliance Standard Operating Procedure. 

The successful implementation of any risk management framework depends on ensuring all institutional stakeholders have an in-depth understanding of the main principles, objectives and components of the framework. A key step towards this is ensuring that staff around the country are trained in the use of risk management tools and aware of the policies. International IDEA is partnering with the IEBC to provide training to election officials in Naivasha, Kenya from 17 to 18 July 2019. Participants will include one 'risk champion' from each county in the country as well as departmental 'risk champions' from each department at headquarters. 

International IDEA and the IEBC have been collaborating in the area of risk management since 2012 when the Kenyan electoral body piloted the use of International IDEA's Electoral Risk Management Tool (ERMTool). The training workshop will come at an opportune time as the IEBC begins a new electoral cycle with the conduct of a new boundary delimitation process and the possibility of a Constitutional referendum before the country readies itself for new general elections in 2022.