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Home»GSDRC Publications»Management Arrangements in UN-led Electoral Assistance Programmes

Management Arrangements in UN-led Electoral Assistance Programmes

Helpdesk Report
  • Shivit Bakrania
September 2012

Question

Please provide examples of recently used management arrangements in electoral assistance programmes led by the UN.

Summary

Key findings: UNDP guidance recommends a two-tiered management structure for electoral assistance programmes. One tier provides policy oversight and is normally referred to as a Steering Committee; the other tier consists of a Project Management Unit (PMU) and is responsible for implementing the project on a day-to-day basis. In addition, the UNDP recommends coordination structures to facilitate consensus amongst donors and to help minimise duplication. These coordination structures could exist at the donor level (e.g. a donor coordination mechanism) and at the stakeholder level (e.g. a stakeholder forum that includes all national stakeholders).

Key lessons gleaned from the reviewed literature are:

  • Management structures should avoid the over-centralisation of responsibilities.
  • Management and coordination structures should contain sufficient senior policy and operational representation from relevant stakeholder bodies.
  • There should be sufficient linkages and information flows between the management and coordination structures to minimise duplication.
  • Donors need to strengthen their own governance and oversight of UNDP managed programmes.
  • Management arrangements can vary depending upon the context. Programming within peacekeeping contexts differs from that in more stable environments.
  • Local ownership of management and coordination structures should be encouraged where feasible and appropriate.
  • Risk management and monitoring was found to be neglected in many of the reviewed case studies.

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Enquirer:

  • DFID State & Society Team

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