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LEAD Training in Electoral Administration - April 2018 - Calabar, Nigeria

Within the context of the European Union funded Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with technical support from the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) is organizing a 5-day Leadership and Conflict Management for Electoral stakeholders (LEAD) training programme for the heads of Voter Education and Publicity for the 36 states of the federation. The training will take place from 16-20 April, 2018 at the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar, Cross River state, Nigeria.

 

In his opening remark, ECES Nigeria Project Director and Country Representative stated that “I am particularly excited as this training is the first of a series of LEAD trainings to be conducted in Nigeria. The Leadership and Conflict Management for Electoral stakeholders (LEAD) training programme was initially developed through the close collaboration and synergy between ECES and the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). The LEAD training is used by ECES as part of its capacity building activities, and it aims at sustainability and ownership of results by the beneficiaries through a cascading certification process and an innovative training methodology.

 

The main objective of the LEAD workshop is to improve the leadership capacity of INEC Management at all levels by providing management tools and reinforcing the already acquired skills to assist them in the discharge of their mandate with credibility and integrity, thus equipping them to prevent or mitigate conflict situations or escalation of electoral violence for the entire duration of an electoral process. The specific objective is to strengthen the long term capacities of participants to effectively deal with elections related conflicts and its triggers.

By the end of the workshop, this workshop will achieve the following outcomes;

  • Strengthen the long-term leadership capacities of INEC heads of VEPs in the 36 states;
  • Equip the heads of VEPs with skills and techniques of strategic communication in voter education;
  • Providing them with expertise in decision-making and extensive insights into managing triggers of conflicts and conflict sensitive reporting throughout the electoral cycle.
  • In-depth understanding of the Lead Curriculum and conflict management and mediation techniques from case study perspectives;

 

The LEAD program is built around the core values of inclusiveness and the exchange of specific experience and knowledge between electoral stakeholders. LEAD is designed for representatives of Electoral Management Bodies, civil society, NGOs, political parties, bodies entrusted with electoral justice, academics, security forces, the media and media regulatory bodies.

LEAD employs cutting-edge learning tools to maximize sustainable appropriation. All trainings are focused on the participants and their collective learning needs, employing innovative techniques in adult education, case studies, comparative examples, group work and role-plays, immerse participants into the actual challenges they will face, enabling the group to arrive at their own conclusions and solutions.

The LEAD program is structured around a seven-day Training of Trainers course and five-day LEAD Training courses. LEAD Training courses include sessions on:

  • The applications of leadership skills to electoral processes;
  • The electoral cycle and its potential weaknesses;
  • The core values of leadership, tolerance and development;
  • Leadership and Voter Education;
  • Electoral crises, conflicts and violence;
  • Leading principles behind conflict management;
  • The application of leadership skills in the prevention of electoral crises;
  • Individual and organizational leadership Mediation and conflict prevention;
  • Results transmission, the introduction of technology into electoral processes, media monitoring among others;

LEAD Trainings are designed for delivery through large-scale cascade trainings. It has a detailed and comprehensive training curriculum as well as many different tools.

The LEAD program includes a three-tier certification system, promoting participants’ and trainers’ appropriation of contents. All LEAD trainings are supervised by a Certifying Facilitator to guarantee the highest standards in terms of contents and delivery; and partly delivered by an ever-expanding pool of semi-certified and certified trainers.

ECES continues to look forward to forging its partnership, mutual collaboration and strategic engagements in order to strengthen INECs internal and External communication with all relevant stakeholders, thus building the democratic system of Nigeria.

It is my hope that you find this training useful in the discharge of your duties as drivers of voter education programming in the electoral process of Nigeria in the lead up to the 2019 general elections.

Welcome remarks were given by the Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), INEC Honourable National Commissioner, Prince Solomon Soyebi, ably represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC Cross River State, who is also the Host, Dr Briyai O. Frankland and Director, Voter Education and Publicity department, Barr. Oluwole Osaze Uzzi.

 

Participants are drawn across the 36 states and INEC headquarters directing staff.

 

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