Virtual BRIDGE Workshop on Strategic Planning

On 27-28 May and 3-4 June 2021, PIANZEA delivered a virtual BRIDGE workshop on strategic planning for electoral management. International IDEA collaborated with PIANZEA on the delivery of the workshop. The workshop ran over four half days and was PIANZEA’s second virtual BRIDGE workshop.

The BRIDGE strategic planning module aims to help election management bodies conduct a strategic planning process and develop new, or revise existing, strategic and operational plans. The PIANZEA workshop had a theoretical focus, providing an overall vision of the strategic planning process and with an initial, general understanding of what strategic planning is; how this methodology is implemented; what it intends to achieve; and what benefits it can bring to the EMB deciding to embrace it.

The workshop included a case study provided by the Fijian Elections Office on the development of their strategic plan, which participants noted was especially helpful and would help them in developing their strategic plans.

The workshop was attended by officials from Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tokelau and Tonga. Participants identified future areas of work in the strategic planning space, including reviews of existing strategic plans, creation of operational manuals and development of new strategic plans.