Curriculum Overview

Two tabletop exercises (TTX) or simulations have been developed as part of this curriculum, to allow participants to directly apply and text knowledge and skills acquired from the curriculum modules.

Asiana Presidential Election: Independence Simulation

The focus of this scenario is a crisis in the presidential election of Asiana. Participants and the public hear that the election is going smoothly, and the incumbent president reports a strong showing on his part. As the day progresses, the president realizes he will lose the election if he does not intervene…

Participants will test leadership skills and decision-making processes with the goal of asserting election management body (EMB) independence during a political challenge to EMB impartiality and the ability of the EMB to fulfill its mandate. Each participant group will respond to unfolding developments under time constraints, political pressure and ambiguous and conflicting information. Participants will practice information gathering and sharing, working across institutional boundaries, communicating and creatively solving problems. The objective of this simulation is to encourage creative problem-solving that involves multiple stakeholders and makes the most of the available means within and beyond each institution. This exercise is designed for multiple participants and IFES team members to serve as expert advisers or “plants” in the exercise.

This simulation is designed to be run following delivery of the Independence training module. Full instructions are provided in a separate facilitator’s guide, along with an accompanying suite of materials.

Training materials from the iEXCEL pilot held in August 2018

Carana in Crisis: Crisis Leadership Simulation

The focus of this scenario is an emerging cybersecurity and election technology crisis. The crux of the crisis is that there are a number of problems emerging on Election Day with the election technology in use for results management, and emails and Twitter accounts are also being hacked.

Participants will increase their knowledge of how to best prevent, prepare for and mitigate a crisis through a simulated tabletop exercise and will understand the value of crisis leadership as part of their role on their EMB. Although this simulation centers on an election technology crisis, the goal of this exercise is for participants to improve their crisis leadership skills, not focus on their country’s election technology vulnerabilities. To facilitate this exercise, the lead facilitator should have a team of at least two other experienced facilitators (depending on the size of the training group) to help manage participant questions and requests as well as inject tracking throughout the exercise.

This simulation is designed to be run following delivery of the Crisis Leadership training module. Full instructions are provided in a separate facilitator’s guide, along with an accompanying suite of materials.

Although credible elections can support nations in their democratization processes, seriously flawed or failed elections pose a potent risk to political stability. Electoral leaders therefore operate in a unique and challenging space. They may be required to carry out their mandates at the epicenter of fundamental transitions that involve all sectors of society, enormous political pressure and uniquely complex challenges to the independence of the institutions they helm. In particular, electoral leaders are frequently in a position in which they must resist manipulation of elections and direct threats to their independence or impartiality by political actors. These challenges become even greater in environments of authoritarian resurgence.

In addition, malign actors seeking to manipulate and undermine elections are increasingly nimble and innovative, and many election management bodies (EMBs) do not have the capacity to respond effectively. This becomes even more of a vulnerability if the EMB suffers from weak or ineffective leadership. The proliferation of new media and new election technologies provides these bad actors with evolving modes and opportunities to undermine electoral and governing institutions, processes and public perceptions. As a result, the effectiveness of democracy is in question, and the legitimacy of elections is being challenged before ballots are even cast. These new challenges have vastly changed the playing field for EMBs.

Strong electoral leadership is essential now and in the future to resolve protracted challenges that prevent meaningful reforms, undermine institutional independence, and subvert the electoral process. Electoral leadership is distinct from election management, as it involves planning for and confronting these external and internal challenges, above and beyond the technical, operational, and logistical aspects of an election.

Despite these imperatives, to date there has been virtually no area of study dedicated to the topic of electoral leadership either in its own right or as distinct from election management. As such, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems initiated a project called "Electoral Leadership in Crisis" – supported by the United States Agency for International Development under the Global Elections and Political Transitions mechanism – to: study literature relevant to electoral leadership; survey current and former electoral leaders; develop examples of electoral leadership successes and failures; and craft this targeted leadership curriculum. The curriculum is designed to foster the leadership skills necessary to preserve independence even in the midst of crisis.

The intended audience for this training program is senior electoral leaders – both new leaders and those who have managed elections in the past but who may be facing new challenges. The particular focus is on election management body (EMB) chairpersons and commissioners, but the curriculum may also be impactful for CEOs and departmental leaders within the EMB. The curriculum modules emphasize the skills needed for electoral leaders to strengthen institutional independence, deliver elections within the context of a crisis, resist manipulation of elections by political actors and foster institutional resilience and capacity.

The curriculum builds on many years of electoral management training and capacity-building provided by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and other technical assistance providers, including as part of the Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) initiative, which is a partnership between IFES, the Australian Electoral Commission, International IDEA, United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division. This curriculum is designed to build on prior training that may have been provided to participants on electoral management and administration, while zeroing in on specific issues of leadership strengthening. Please note: as this curriculum goes to press, elements from the training program are also being incorporated into the Introduction to Electoral Administration foundational BRIDGE module that is currently being revamped.

The curriculum modules have been crafted to emphasize the skills needed by electoral leaders to strengthen institutional independence, deliver elections within the context of a crisis, resist manipulation of elections by political actors and foster institutional resilience and capacity. The curriculum includes a mix of exercises that adhere to core principles of andragogy (methods of adult learning). At the end of this curriculum, participants should be able to:

1. Exhibit the main skills and behaviors needed to exercise effective electoral leadership;
2. Analyze threats to election management body independence and develop plans to mitigate them;
3. Demonstrate the expressed values and behavioral practices that characterize an ethical leader, and foster the elements in an organization that promote ethical behavior; and
4. Identify, prioritize and plan for risks or potential crisis triggers in the electoral process, communicate effectively in a crisis and apply appropriate techniques to make decisions and handle stress in crisis environments.

Two cross-cutting themes are particularly important in this curriculum: meaningful stakeholder engagement and effective public communication. Interviews and survey data discussed in this curriculum have revealed that these two aspects of electoral leadership are particularly important to reinforcing institutional independence, resisting political manipulation, responding to crisis and generating momentum for reform.

While the curriculum can be delivered in many different circumstances – for example, as a retreat for existing leaders, as an orientation for new commissioners, or as a rapid response measure before a challenging election – it is best delivered as part of a longer-term institutional-strengthening program that includes additional mentorship and peer-learning opportunities for the specific individuals involved.

Because this was a comparatively new area of study, quantitative data and qualitative analysis was needed to test existing assumptions, better understand electoral leadership from a comparative perspective and tailor training programs for electoral leaders. To develop this curriculum, the research team fielded a detailed survey to gather data on electoral leadership, drawing on existing models of leadership from the public and private sectors; conducted in-person interviews and desk research to build scenario-based training modules and simulations; and then crafted and tested this curriculum with experienced election officials and practitioners.

The key research questions underpinning the development of this curriculum included:

• Where does individual and institutional authority and independence come from, and how can it be strengthened and protected?
• What does ethical and accountable leadership look like in the elections field, and how can it be fostered?
• How is leadership exercised in different electoral crisis scenarios? What can we learn from leadership successes and failures in the midst of a crisis?