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Lead Training for INEC Staff

In the Lead up to the 2019 general elections, the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) organised a Leadership and Conflict Management Skills for Electoral Stakeholders (LEAD) training for INEC Staff. The training took place at the Statement Hotel, Ahmadu hotel way from 23 – 26 October.

The LEAD program, 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.

Hence the importance to strengthen the electoral Administration leadership skills to create the conditions for efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability in their outcomes in areas of institutional capacity building which will in turn improved drastically on the level of integrity, and credibility of the electoral process in the face of distrust from others stakeholders and help minimize risks of degeneration of electoral conflict into full blown deadly clashes.

This training was aimed at challenging the usual way of analyzing conflict and bring in elements of human nature, collective responsibility, economic drivers and social dimension and dig into the root the election related conflict/violence.

The overall objective of the four-day LEAD workshop was to look into ways in which representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), can improve their leadership skills and take on board means for preventing and/or mitigating the escalation of electoral violence and conflict throughout the respective electoral cycle.

 The specific objectives were;

  • To provide an in-depth understanding of the LEAD Curriculum and conflict management and mediation techniques from case study perspectives;
  • To equip representatives of INEC entrusted with electoral justice, expertise in decision-making and extensive insights into managing triggers of conflicts and conflict sensitive reporting throughout the electoral cycle.

 

The Leadership and Conflict Management for Electoral stakeholders (LEAD) training programme was initially developed through the close collaboration and synergy between the European Centre for Electoral Support 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.

 

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. 

 Three main participatory elements were featured in this training programme:

  • Assessment: Assessment tools developed to help facilitate self-reflection in participants to examine identity and management skills as well as key challenges and to establish individual development goals;
  • Challenge: Experimental team-based activities, carried out and provided a safe place for participants to interact and apply management skills developed during the course of the training;
  • Support: A supporting learning environment focused on peer input is established within which participants share their challenges and aspirations, receive feedback on their strengths and improve effectiveness.

 

The LEAD Training courses included sessions on:

  • The applications of leadership skills to electoral processes;
  • The electoral cycle and its potential weaknesses;
  • Electoral crises, conflicts and violence;
  • Leading principles behind conflict management;
  • Coordination of actions and strategies between stakeholders;
  • Inclusiveness and transparency of the electoral process;
  • Tools/means of communication;
  • The application of leadership skills in the prevention of electoral crises;
  • Individual and organizational leadership Mediation and conflict prevention;
  • The core values of leadership, tolerance and development.

44 participants drawn from several departments of the Commission took part in this intensive training that spanned 4 days.

 

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