International IDEA and the Electoral Commissions Forum of the SADC countries (ECF SADC), in collaboration with the Comissão Nacional de Eleições (CNE) in Mozambique, are organizing the New Commissioners Orientation training in Maputo, 16-18 December.
The overall objective of the three-day orientation workshop is to introduce and engage newly appointed electoral management body (EMB) members and senior staff to the mechanics, principles and good practices in the electoral field, and to equip them with knowledge and skills to carry out their responsibilities with integrity, transparency and accountability. The orientation workshop seeks to enhance peer learning and networking among ECF member EMBs. The overall development goal of the orientation is to enhance the credibility and capacity of SADC EMBs to promote transparent, credible and peaceful elections.
The workshop will focus on three key thematic issues including an overview of elections and electoral management, operations and stakeholders, and leadership and sustainability. A wide spectrum of elections-related work will be examined including, for example, international and regional electoral instruments governing democratic elections, overview of the electoral cycle approach, electoral system design, operational planning, budgeting, procurement processes, use of technologies, party financing, stakeholders’ relations and risk management.
This will be the third time that the ECF SADC in collaboration with partners provide new officials with an opportunity to undergo formal training in electoral management. EMBs from all Lusophone countries have been invited to participate in this event, which will be given in Portuguese language. For many of the participants, this will represent the first time to dedicate themselves to the examination of election management issues together with their peers since their appointments.
The New Commissioners Orientation initiative builds on previous successful implementation of the New Commissioners Orientation workshops organized in 2012 and 2013. The records from past events testifies to the appreciation of the initiative among the participants.
“Having colleagues from other countries and sharing their experience both at individual level and from presentations has broaden my overview appreciation of the scope height and depth of election industry. I have a better appreciation of our mandate as an EMB.”
“Need for similar training involving all Commissioners in SADC. Experienced Commissioners could provide their experiences to new Commissioners/CEOs.”
“… the course was an eye opener.”
Quotes from participants in the 2012 New Commissioners Orientation Workshop
