|
National Electoral Commission
NEC Strategic Plan: 2001-2005
INTRODUCTION
This Strategic Plan of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) is principally focused on our activities for 2001. Accordingly, as a technical document, the plan sets out our specific goals and objectives to be achieved in the shorter-term. Upon careful consideration of the current situation in Sierra Leone, we have included a proposed timeline for the conduct of the presidential and parliamentary elections. However, this Strategic Plan is a living plan to be revised periodically by the Commission. We have also defined our longer-term vision and guiding principles, which will underpin the performance of our functions.
The Strategic Plan is a result of discussions held by the Commission and its staff at a retreat in January 2001. To prepare for the retreat, the Commission appointed a Strategic Planning committee, comprising the Commissioner for the Northern Region, the Executive Secretary, the deputy Secretary, the Acting Principal Elections Officer and all Senior Elections Officers. The Manager of the IFES Project in Sierra Leone supported the work of the Committee.
To focus the discussions at the retreat, the planning committee developed and distributed an Organisational Assessment Survey to all NEC staff and Commission members. The survey was designed to provide baseline information about what the respondents felt about the NEC as an institution, and how it operates. The survey was also used to identify the issues to be discussed, how the NEC should develop as an institution and the principles that should guide its activities.
Additionally, all participants for the retreat received a manual entitled Strategic Planning for Election Organisations written by Joe Baxter, IFES Senior Adviser for Election Administration and IFES Project Manager in Nigeria. This manual provided all participants with background information on the nature of strategic planning, together with step-by step guidance on how an election management body could produce a strategic plan.
The four-day residential strategic planning retreat was conducted from 23-26 January 2001 at Javouhey House, Leicester Peak. The 31 participants at the retreat were: the Chief Electoral Commissioner and Chairman, the four other Commission members, the Executive Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, the Acting Principal Elections Officers, all Elections Officers, two Assistant Elections Officers, the Publicity Officer, he Utility Officer, the Staff Superintendent (representing all clerks and support staff), the Sub-Accountant and the Storekeeper.
The retreat was facilitated by Joe Baxter, IFES; Dr. K. Afari-Gyan, Commonwealth Special Adviser to NEC and Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana; and Simon Clarke, IFES Project Manager in Sierra Leone.
The aim of the retreat was to lay the foundation for the compilation of the Strategic Plan. The participants first developed a Vision Statement, Mission statement and Guiding Principles for the NEC. Following that, the participants were divided into sector groups on:
1) Institution Building;
2) Organisational Outreach;
3) Voter Education;
4) Voter Registration; and
5) the Electoral Process.
Each group was chaired by an Electoral Commissioner and, in one case, the Executive Secretary. The NEC Chairman, Afari-Gyan, Baxter and Clarke acted as facilitators.
Each sector group identified the strategic issues to be analysed, developed Goals and then defined the Objectives required to reach those goals, all within the framework of our Mission Vision and Guiding Principles. The sector groups then reported back to the plenary, where the whole group discussed the presentations. At the end of the retreat, the Planning Committee was charged with the responsibility of amalgamating the sector groups recommendations and finalising the Strategic Plan for the Commissions approval. In addition to the Mission and Vision Statement and the Guiding Principles, the Strategic Plan presents the Strategic Issues that affect the work of the Commission and identifies five Strategic Goals and 30 Strategic Objectives for achieving the goals. Based on these considerations, the Commission will develop detailed operational plans and budget estimates by mid-April 2001.
The Commission is determined to achieve every goal and meet all the objectives that we have set. In order to succeed, we will need the co-operation of the Government of Sierra Leone and dour international partners/donors, particularly in the areas of funding and technical assistance. We will also consult with the political parties, civil society and the Sierra Leonean people and solicit their full collaboration towards the achievement of our goals.
This Strategic Plan was developed with the assistance of the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) through funding provided by the British Department for International Development (DFID) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). We are grateful for their continued support to the Commission.
Brief history and profile of NEC
Sierra Leone has always had a Commission responsible for the management of elections since independence in 1961. Even during periods for military rule, when the members of the Commission were removed, the technical and support staff remained in place, thus making it possible to build a reservoir of considerable experience in election administration within the institution. In 1994 the military government, the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC), established the Interim National Electoral Commission (INEC), which subsequently conducted the 1996 presidential and parliamentary elections for a return to constitutional rule. The present National Electoral Commission (NEC) replaced the INEC in March 2000. Like its predecessors, the NEC is made up of a Chief Electoral Commissioner, who serves as the Chairman, an dour other members, corresponding to the four administrative regions into which Sierra Leone is divided (Northern, Southern and Eastern Provinces and Western Area).
The President appoints all the members of the Commission, in consultation with all registered political parties and subject to the approval of Parliament. The tenure of office of the commissioners is five years, and their terms and conditions of service are prescribed by Parliament. The President may remove a member of the Commission from office only on grounds of inability to discharge his or her functions or misbehaviour.
The functions vested in the NEC by the 1991 Constitution include:
* The conduct of all public elections and referenda;
* The registration of voters;
* The demarcation of constituencies with the approval of Parliament; and
* Making regulations for the efficient performance of its functions.
The Constitution guarantees the independence of the Commission in the performance of its functions by stating that it shall not be subject to the director or control of any person or authority.
Civil servants, recruited through the Public Service Commission (PSC), staff the NEC. An Executive Secretary to the Commission, a serving senior public officer, exercises direct supervision of the Commissions staff. Besides its head office in Freetown, the Commission also has four regional offices an office in each of the twelve districts of the country and a sub-office in the rural part of he Western area. An Elections Officer administers the district office under the direct supervision of a Senior Elections Officer of the respective region. A member of the Commission oversees each of the four administrative regions.
The NEC has the following units: administration voter registration, voter education and public relations. Proposals have been made to restructure the Commission for a more efficient performance of its functions.
MISSION STATEMENT
The National Electoral Commission (NEC) is a public institution, whose mission is to organize, conduct and supervise all public elections and referenda, register all eligible voters, demarcate constituency boundaries and make regulations for the efficient performance of its functions. The NEC also seeks to impartially serve all stakeholders in the electoral process, and to undertake voter education programmes for the citizens of Sierra Leone as a means of promoting and sustaining democracy and good governance.
VISION STATEMENT
Our vision of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) in the future is that of an independent, credible and well-resourced institution which promotes democracy and good governance by continually administering elections in such a manner that the results are acceptable to all.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
In the attempt to attain our mission and vision the principles that guide NEC are:
- INDEPENDENCE The Commission will ensure that it operates freely in its own best judgement, without taking directives from or being controlled by any person or authority.
- TRANSPARENCY The Commission will be open at all times in dealing with all stakeholders in the electoral process.
- CREDIBILITY The Commission will endeavour to win the confidence and trust of all Sierra Leoneans and the international community through the quality of its services.
- IMPARTIALITY The Commission will always be non-partisan and fair in all its activities.
- PROFESSIONALISM AND DEDICATION The Commission will endeavour to have well-trained, professionally competent and self-confident staff, dedicated to the delivery of trustworthy elections.
- INTEGRITY The Commission will carry out its activities in an honest and truthful manner, and will take all reasonable measures to prevent wilful wrongdoing by its officials.
- ACCOUNTABILITY The Commission will take full responsibility for its actions and will always be answerable to the people of Sierra Leone and to its partners.
STRATEGIC ISSUES
During the strategic planning retreat, the participants deliberated extensively on issues of strategic importance to the general well being of the NEC as an institution, and to the holding of the next presidential and parliamentary elections. Obviously the two concerns are closely interwoven, and they are treated in that way in the strategic issue areas identified below.
Realistic Election Timeframe: By the time of the retreat, it was clear to the Commission that it would not be possible to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections by the end of March and June 2001, respectively, as originally expected. Three factors affected the election timeframe. First, given that sizeable portions of the country are still under the control of rebels and constitute no-go areas, it was reasonable to expect that the executive and legislature would extend their tenures within the law, as indeed did happen. Secondly, critical matters like the kind of electoral system to be used (the singe member constituency system or some form of proportional representation) and consequently whether fresh demarcation of constituencies will need to be done, had still not been determined. Thirdly, to be able to prepare well for a major election requires adequate resources and the NEC simple hasn't had the resources to do so. The timeline for achieving our strategic objectives clearly indicates in a systematic fashion that the earliest time that the presidential and parliamentary elections could be held would be in December 2001. It is to be emphasized, however, that even this timeframe is based on the following assumptions.
- It will be possible to hold the elections in a violence free atmosphere.
- A decision on the electoral system to be used will be made in good time for the Commission to institute the appropriate arrangements and educate the electorate.
- Adequate resources will be made available to the Commission to begin and steadily continue to do the necessary preparations for the elections.
Funding: Given the countrys current financial state, the government alone cannot fund the impending elections; so, donor assistance will be critical. In this regard, we are most appreciative of the support we have so far received from some friendly countries and organizations, principally in the form of technical assistance. We are hopeful that, as we gear up towards the elections, more support will be forthcoming from more of our friends to enable us to contribute to laying a good foundation for democracy and good governance. We are keenly aware that this calls for the timely preparation of a realistic budget for the elections.
New Voters Register: There is a clear need to undertake fresh registration of eligible voters, if the Commission is to achieve fair and credible elections. Preferably, the registration should be supported with a voter identity (ID) card to facilitate the identification of voters. In any case, due consideration needs to be given to the timing of the registration exercise, as well as the methodology and the technology for doing it. Also, for purposes of compiling a comprehensive register of all eligible Sierra Leoneans, special attention must be paid to internally displaced persons, the disabled and refugees. At the time of making this strategic plan, a worrying problem was the lack of access to the parts of the country under rebel control.
Human Resources: Considerable know how about the conduct of elections already exists in the Commission. However, for the Commission to achieve a high level of delivery of election services, the existing human resource capacity needs to be augmented in various ways, with special attention to the inclusion of women.
Physical Infrastructure: As a result of the wanton destruction of life and property in the countrys civil war, the Commission stands in urgent need of rehabilitating or reconstructing, furnishing and equipping its damaged offices in the regions and districts and acquiring suitable storage facilities nationwide for election materials.
Transport and Communication: Lack of vehicles and other modes of transportation and lack of an efficient communication network linking the head office to the regions and districts are factors that seriously hinder efficient implementation of the Commissions programmes and activities.
Dialogue and Consultation: The NEC fully recognizes the need to build support for the entire election process though dialogue and consultation with various stakeholders. This is made even more imperative against the backdrop of the civil war, which has raved and divided our country. We are determined to broaden our dialogue and consultation with a view to building understanding and consensus about electoral matters.
|
