IPNEWS: On May 22 and 23, the leadership of the National Elections Commission (NEC) participated in a Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) introductory workshop aimed at developing a new six-year Strategic Plan for 2025-2031.
The workshop gathered 25 officials, including the Board of Commissioners and senior managers, to consider the purpose and process for defining NEC’s strategic direction for the next six years and to foster commitment to this important process within the institution.
The UNDP Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP) facilitated and supported the event, co-funded by the European Union, Ireland, Sweden, and the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), which is under the European Union.
Commissioner Floyd Oxley Sayor, in his opening statement, encouraged participants to apply the skills learned to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the NEC.
“NEC will utilize the experiences and lessons learned from the 2023 elections to shape a forward-looking strategy considering the 2029 general elections and beyond. This workshop will provide the guidance necessary for the success and sustainability of the institution as we move forward,” Commissioner Sayor emphasized.
Katherine Green, Chief Technical Advisor for the UNDP electoral project, highlighted that strategic planning is a crucial process for an election management body.
“It offers a structured approach to managing the organization’s long-term goals and objectives within its mandate to conduct elections,” Green noted.
NEC Chairperson Davidetta Browne Lansanah emphasized the importance of partnerships and stakeholder engagement in achieving the NEC strategic plan. She stated, “The National Elections Commission values its collaborations with external stakeholders and actors, which help in a large measure to achieve the mandate of the Commission. The NEC looks to its partnerships in pursuing development strategies for electoral reform, boundary delimitation, and other activities to improve voter registration and elections in Liberia,” Browne Lansanah intimated.
Participants explored various concepts related to strategic planning, discussed different steps, processes, tasks, responsibilities, and key partnerships, and engaged NEC leadership on how to take the process forward.
This experience will enhance their understanding and provide a clear roadmap for effectively developing the plan.
The new strategy will reflect a refreshed vision and reinforce NEC’s commitment to continuous improvement, institutional learning, and inclusive electoral processes, while promoting a culture of excellence in election administration.
In the coming months, the NEC will hold a series of consultations, technical assessments, and internal reviews to identify priority reforms that align with available resources and institutional capacities.
The UNDP Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP) is co-funded by the European Union (EU), Irish Aid, the Embassy of Sweden, and UNDP. Its goal is to support national institutions and processes that promote a more inclusive and accountable democracy in Liberia.
The project is managed and coordinated by UNDP and implemented in partnership with UN Women and the Netherlands Institute for Multi-Party Democracy (NIMD).
