Nigeria is conducting an electioneering process ahead of 2015. We need to remove everything that may hinder a free and fair process.
Logistics planning is essential so that equipment, staff, and communications methods are in place for the successful operation.
To this end, INEC needs a strong strategy in place.
To ensure effective movement of electioneering materials, I propose that the following steps be followed.
Personnel
Recruitment
This is the time INEC should start recruitment of staff including the ad-hoc personnel for the polls.
The personnel should be trained on the use of communication gadgets as well as the materials they will use.
Logistics
Logistics must be in place in in terms of accommodation and transportation for electoral officers irrespective of status at least 48 hours before election. Taking into consideration that the country is shut down on election day, it is very important that this issue is addressed to avoid late take off of election.
Allowance
INEC should pay the allowances of polling officials, particularly the ad-hoc staff to avoid any face-off.
Politicians and government officials
These people have been known to be the bane of electoral successes because of their status. They are an interested party in the polls and so should not be allowed access to On Duty tags which allows them to move around on election day and in the process perpetrating encouraging electoral malpractices.
Materials
Distribution
Effective distribution of materials and equipment requires:
Detailed planning of delivery and retrieval schedules, methods of transport to be used and routes
Efficient means of splitting bulk deliveries of supplies into separate shipments for each voting location, avoiding wastage, yet ensuring that all voting units have sufficient supplies to service the voters.
Adequate security for the specific environment.
Storage appropriate for maintaining stocks for election materials and equipment in good condition.
Comprehensive tracking of the movements of all election materials and equipment as they go through the distribution and return chain.
Accountability and probity considerations, as well as operational needs about the state of readiness for voting, and later of the successful retrieval of supplies, must be served by carefully tracking all shipping and distribution of supplies.
III. Communications
Communications during the election period requires that a thorough assessment be made of communication needs. Apart from the heightened flow of information within the election management body’s offices and the need to provide facilities for communication with voters, political parties, security forces, and other government agencies, there will be a large number of dispersed voting centers that will need to be in communication with their supervisors and other such officers.
IV Observers
Foreign and local observers must be taken into consideration.
Transportation
Provision of transportation that is reliable, secure and on time is critical to ensuring that voting units are fully prepared before the commencement of voting, during and after voting to ensure proper monitoring and supplies of materials if there will be any shortfall as well as that accountable and valuable election supplies are retrieved expeditiously and safely.
Planning of transportation is a highly complex operation that needs to be completed well in advance of the election. The management resources needed to support an efficient election supplies transportation operation should not be underestimated, particularly where large geographic areas are involved and a wide range of transportation means need to be employed. Transportation plans need to be fully integrated with packaging plans and be flexible enough to respond to emergencies.
Planning the retrieval of supplies from voting units is as important as planning the initial supply. Ensuring that all accountable materials are returned to secure storage is an essential guarantee of election integrity. Loss of accountable materials at this stage will immediately raise public suspicions about the validity of voting and counts.
Methods
Methods of transportation will depend on the terrain, weather conditions, time available for supply, and distances over which materials and equipment have to be transported. Whether direct distribution from a central store, or staged distribution from central to regional warehouses and then to voting units, is used will partially depend on transportation infrastructure and distances to be covered.
It may be efficient to enlist the assistance of other state agencies in the delivery and retrieval of voting unit supplies in the short time frames available. However, public trust and confidence in their use must be considered.
V Controls
Strict controls need to be applied, particularly for accountable voting materials and valuable supplies. A full audit trail of delivery and receipt documentation for accountable materials, from the time that supplies leave the manufacturer to their return to electoral management body stores following voting day, must be available.
Records of the locations of all supplies at any time must be rigorously maintained and personal accountability for their safekeeping enforced.
Pick-up of Materials
These arrangements can be more complex than delivery of materials to the voting unit and less likely to follow a pre-arranged timetable. Actual pick-up times from voting units will be affected by how quickly close of voting activities are completed (there may be long delays if large numbers of voters are in the voting unit at the time of close of voting), accounting and other records completed, and materials packaged. At the end of a long day, this may not be accomplished quickly.
Clear pick-up instructions must be conveyed to electoral officers and the importance of the rollback of election resources must be adhered to.
Pick-up schedules should allow for this. Most important is that there is liaison between the electoral officers at the field and the office, so that progress can be monitored and any adjustments to pick-up scheduling relayed to drivers.
Checking Return of Materials
The most important issue to check immediately on return of materials is that all accountable voting materials and equipment have been returned. The delivery and receipt audit trail maintained for materials delivery should be used to control returns. Particular care needs to be taken that all ballots have been returned, that all ballot accounting records have been correctly completed, and that portable equipment (mobile phones and personal radios especially) are returned.
Wherever possible, it is preferable that a schedule officer be present when materials are returned and checked into storage. Any missing accountable materials or equipment may be more readily traced with the assistance of the schedule officer at this stage.
Storage prior to voting
Materials and equipment for voting day are likely to be produced over a period of several weeks or even months.
Suitable storage facilities for such material and equipment should be put in place. It is important that the premises used for storage are both accessible and secure. Security in particular is of the utmost importance as this builds the confidence of the electorate and political parties in the election process.
Security
To secure the materials, it is advised that local government and state capitals are used where the terrain will not allow for easy distribution on the eve of the election.
Ballot Paper
The ballot papers which is the most sensitive of all the electoral material must be given serious and adequate attention in terms of logistics and this is where the professionals in this area should be involved, because if the logistics of the ballot papers is not gotten right, definitely the election cannot be right and, for this reason, the distribution system of the ballot papers must be up on time, handled professionally and well secured.
Voting Unit Management
It is preferable to appoint a person to be responsible for all operations at a polling unit called the polling unit officer, whose duty is to ensure that all procedures are followed in the conduct of election as laid down by the electoral management body. He is the presiding officer; in fact, the chief executive officer for the voting unit.
CONCLUSION
The 2015 elections are a very important event. As such, they should not be handled with levity. INEC should co-opt the services of professionals to help it design and execute this project as Nigerians will not take any excuse this time around.
_________________________________________________________________________
* OGUNADE, a constitutional lawyer, human rights activist and President, Voters Awareness Initiative, delivered this piece titled, ‘The impact of effective logistics movement and material distribution in an electioneering process and achieving success in national transition’, International Logistics and Administration’s National Conference and Fellow’s Investiture 2014.
Logistics planning is essential so that equipment, staff, and communications methods are in place for the successful operation.
To this end, INEC needs a strong strategy in place.
To ensure effective movement of electioneering materials, I propose that the following steps be followed.
Personnel
Recruitment
This is the time INEC should start recruitment of staff including the ad-hoc personnel for the polls.
The personnel should be trained on the use of communication gadgets as well as the materials they will use.
Logistics
Logistics must be in place in in terms of accommodation and transportation for electoral officers irrespective of status at least 48 hours before election. Taking into consideration that the country is shut down on election day, it is very important that this issue is addressed to avoid late take off of election.
Allowance
INEC should pay the allowances of polling officials, particularly the ad-hoc staff to avoid any face-off.
Politicians and government officials
These people have been known to be the bane of electoral successes because of their status. They are an interested party in the polls and so should not be allowed access to On Duty tags which allows them to move around on election day and in the process perpetrating encouraging electoral malpractices.
Materials
Distribution
Effective distribution of materials and equipment requires:
Detailed planning of delivery and retrieval schedules, methods of transport to be used and routes
Efficient means of splitting bulk deliveries of supplies into separate shipments for each voting location, avoiding wastage, yet ensuring that all voting units have sufficient supplies to service the voters.
Adequate security for the specific environment.
Storage appropriate for maintaining stocks for election materials and equipment in good condition.
Comprehensive tracking of the movements of all election materials and equipment as they go through the distribution and return chain.
Accountability and probity considerations, as well as operational needs about the state of readiness for voting, and later of the successful retrieval of supplies, must be served by carefully tracking all shipping and distribution of supplies.
III. Communications
Communications during the election period requires that a thorough assessment be made of communication needs. Apart from the heightened flow of information within the election management body’s offices and the need to provide facilities for communication with voters, political parties, security forces, and other government agencies, there will be a large number of dispersed voting centers that will need to be in communication with their supervisors and other such officers.
IV Observers
Foreign and local observers must be taken into consideration.
Transportation
Provision of transportation that is reliable, secure and on time is critical to ensuring that voting units are fully prepared before the commencement of voting, during and after voting to ensure proper monitoring and supplies of materials if there will be any shortfall as well as that accountable and valuable election supplies are retrieved expeditiously and safely.
Planning of transportation is a highly complex operation that needs to be completed well in advance of the election. The management resources needed to support an efficient election supplies transportation operation should not be underestimated, particularly where large geographic areas are involved and a wide range of transportation means need to be employed. Transportation plans need to be fully integrated with packaging plans and be flexible enough to respond to emergencies.
Planning the retrieval of supplies from voting units is as important as planning the initial supply. Ensuring that all accountable materials are returned to secure storage is an essential guarantee of election integrity. Loss of accountable materials at this stage will immediately raise public suspicions about the validity of voting and counts.
Methods
Methods of transportation will depend on the terrain, weather conditions, time available for supply, and distances over which materials and equipment have to be transported. Whether direct distribution from a central store, or staged distribution from central to regional warehouses and then to voting units, is used will partially depend on transportation infrastructure and distances to be covered.
It may be efficient to enlist the assistance of other state agencies in the delivery and retrieval of voting unit supplies in the short time frames available. However, public trust and confidence in their use must be considered.
V Controls
Strict controls need to be applied, particularly for accountable voting materials and valuable supplies. A full audit trail of delivery and receipt documentation for accountable materials, from the time that supplies leave the manufacturer to their return to electoral management body stores following voting day, must be available.
Records of the locations of all supplies at any time must be rigorously maintained and personal accountability for their safekeeping enforced.
Pick-up of Materials
These arrangements can be more complex than delivery of materials to the voting unit and less likely to follow a pre-arranged timetable. Actual pick-up times from voting units will be affected by how quickly close of voting activities are completed (there may be long delays if large numbers of voters are in the voting unit at the time of close of voting), accounting and other records completed, and materials packaged. At the end of a long day, this may not be accomplished quickly.
Clear pick-up instructions must be conveyed to electoral officers and the importance of the rollback of election resources must be adhered to.
Pick-up schedules should allow for this. Most important is that there is liaison between the electoral officers at the field and the office, so that progress can be monitored and any adjustments to pick-up scheduling relayed to drivers.
Checking Return of Materials
The most important issue to check immediately on return of materials is that all accountable voting materials and equipment have been returned. The delivery and receipt audit trail maintained for materials delivery should be used to control returns. Particular care needs to be taken that all ballots have been returned, that all ballot accounting records have been correctly completed, and that portable equipment (mobile phones and personal radios especially) are returned.
Wherever possible, it is preferable that a schedule officer be present when materials are returned and checked into storage. Any missing accountable materials or equipment may be more readily traced with the assistance of the schedule officer at this stage.
Storage prior to voting
Materials and equipment for voting day are likely to be produced over a period of several weeks or even months.
Suitable storage facilities for such material and equipment should be put in place. It is important that the premises used for storage are both accessible and secure. Security in particular is of the utmost importance as this builds the confidence of the electorate and political parties in the election process.
Security
To secure the materials, it is advised that local government and state capitals are used where the terrain will not allow for easy distribution on the eve of the election.
Ballot Paper
The ballot papers which is the most sensitive of all the electoral material must be given serious and adequate attention in terms of logistics and this is where the professionals in this area should be involved, because if the logistics of the ballot papers is not gotten right, definitely the election cannot be right and, for this reason, the distribution system of the ballot papers must be up on time, handled professionally and well secured.
Voting Unit Management
It is preferable to appoint a person to be responsible for all operations at a polling unit called the polling unit officer, whose duty is to ensure that all procedures are followed in the conduct of election as laid down by the electoral management body. He is the presiding officer; in fact, the chief executive officer for the voting unit.
CONCLUSION
The 2015 elections are a very important event. As such, they should not be handled with levity. INEC should co-opt the services of professionals to help it design and execute this project as Nigerians will not take any excuse this time around.
_________________________________________________________________________
* OGUNADE, a constitutional lawyer, human rights activist and President, Voters Awareness Initiative, delivered this piece titled, ‘The impact of effective logistics movement and material distribution in an electioneering process and achieving success in national transition’, International Logistics and Administration’s National Conference and Fellow’s Investiture 2014.
Nigeria is conducting an electioneering process ahead of 2015. We need to remove everything that may hinder a free and fair process.
Logistics planning is essential so that equipment, staff, and communications methods are in place for the successful operation.
To this end, INEC needs a strong strategy in place.
To ensure effective movement of electioneering materials, I propose that the following steps be followed.
The personnel should be trained on the use of communication gadgets as well as the materials they will use.
III. Communications
Communications during the election period requires that a thorough assessment be made of communication needs. Apart from the heightened flow of information within the election management body’s offices and the need to provide facilities for communication with voters, political parties, security forces, and other government agencies, there will be a large number of dispersed voting centers that will need to be in communication with their supervisors and other such officers.
IV Observers
Foreign and local observers must be taken into consideration.
Planning of transportation is a highly complex operation that needs to be completed well in advance of the election. The management resources needed to support an efficient election supplies transportation operation should not be underestimated, particularly where large geographic areas are involved and a wide range of transportation means need to be employed. Transportation plans need to be fully integrated with packaging plans and be flexible enough to respond to emergencies.
Planning the retrieval of supplies from voting units is as important as planning the initial supply. Ensuring that all accountable materials are returned to secure storage is an essential guarantee of election integrity. Loss of accountable materials at this stage will immediately raise public suspicions about the validity of voting and counts.
Methods
Methods of transportation will depend on the terrain, weather conditions, time available for supply, and distances over which materials and equipment have to be transported. Whether direct distribution from a central store, or staged distribution from central to regional warehouses and then to voting units, is used will partially depend on transportation infrastructure and distances to be covered.
It may be efficient to enlist the assistance of other state agencies in the delivery and retrieval of voting unit supplies in the short time frames available. However, public trust and confidence in their use must be considered.
V Controls
Strict controls need to be applied, particularly for accountable voting materials and valuable supplies. A full audit trail of delivery and receipt documentation for accountable materials, from the time that supplies leave the manufacturer to their return to electoral management body stores following voting day, must be available.
Records of the locations of all supplies at any time must be rigorously maintained and personal accountability for their safekeeping enforced.
Pick-up of Materials
These arrangements can be more complex than delivery of materials to the voting unit and less likely to follow a pre-arranged timetable. Actual pick-up times from voting units will be affected by how quickly close of voting activities are completed (there may be long delays if large numbers of voters are in the voting unit at the time of close of voting), accounting and other records completed, and materials packaged. At the end of a long day, this may not be accomplished quickly.
Clear pick-up instructions must be conveyed to electoral officers and the importance of the rollback of election resources must be adhered to.
Pick-up schedules should allow for this. Most important is that there is liaison between the electoral officers at the field and the office, so that progress can be monitored and any adjustments to pick-up scheduling relayed to drivers.
Checking Return of Materials
The most important issue to check immediately on return of materials is that all accountable voting materials and equipment have been returned. The delivery and receipt audit trail maintained for materials delivery should be used to control returns. Particular care needs to be taken that all ballots have been returned, that all ballot accounting records have been correctly completed, and that portable equipment (mobile phones and personal radios especially) are returned.
Wherever possible, it is preferable that a schedule officer be present when materials are returned and checked into storage. Any missing accountable materials or equipment may be more readily traced with the assistance of the schedule officer at this stage.
Storage prior to voting
Materials and equipment for voting day are likely to be produced over a period of several weeks or even months.
Suitable storage facilities for such material and equipment should be put in place. It is important that the premises used for storage are both accessible and secure. Security in particular is of the utmost importance as this builds the confidence of the electorate and political parties in the election process.
Security
To secure the materials, it is advised that local government and state capitals are used where the terrain will not allow for easy distribution on the eve of the election.
Ballot Paper
The ballot papers which is the most sensitive of all the electoral material must be given serious and adequate attention in terms of logistics and this is where the professionals in this area should be involved, because if the logistics of the ballot papers is not gotten right, definitely the election cannot be right and, for this reason, the distribution system of the ballot papers must be up on time, handled professionally and well secured.
Voting Unit Management
It is preferable to appoint a person to be responsible for all operations at a polling unit called the polling unit officer, whose duty is to ensure that all procedures are followed in the conduct of election as laid down by the electoral management body. He is the presiding officer; in fact, the chief executive officer for the voting unit.
CONCLUSION
The 2015 elections are a very important event. As such, they should not be handled with levity. INEC should co-opt the services of professionals to help it design and execute this project as Nigerians will not take any excuse this time around.
_________________________________________________________________________
* OGUNADE, a constitutional lawyer, human rights activist and President, Voters Awareness Initiative, delivered this piece titled, ‘The impact of effective logistics movement and material distribution in an electioneering process and achieving success in national transition’, International Logistics and Administration’s National Conference and Fellow’s Investiture 2014.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/logistics-guide-2015-polls/#sthash.iG2JCEeO.dpuf
Logistics planning is essential so that equipment, staff, and communications methods are in place for the successful operation.
To this end, INEC needs a strong strategy in place.
To ensure effective movement of electioneering materials, I propose that the following steps be followed.
- Personnel
- Recruitment
The personnel should be trained on the use of communication gadgets as well as the materials they will use.
- Logistics
- Allowance
- Politicians and government officials
- Materials
- Distribution
- Detailed planning of delivery and retrieval schedules, methods of transport to be used and routes
- Efficient means of splitting bulk deliveries of supplies into separate shipments for each voting location, avoiding wastage, yet ensuring that all voting units have sufficient supplies to service the voters.
- Adequate security for the specific environment.
- Storage appropriate for maintaining stocks for election materials and equipment in good condition.
- Comprehensive tracking of the movements of all election materials and equipment as they go through the distribution and return chain.
III. Communications
Communications during the election period requires that a thorough assessment be made of communication needs. Apart from the heightened flow of information within the election management body’s offices and the need to provide facilities for communication with voters, political parties, security forces, and other government agencies, there will be a large number of dispersed voting centers that will need to be in communication with their supervisors and other such officers.
IV Observers
Foreign and local observers must be taken into consideration.
- Transportation
Planning of transportation is a highly complex operation that needs to be completed well in advance of the election. The management resources needed to support an efficient election supplies transportation operation should not be underestimated, particularly where large geographic areas are involved and a wide range of transportation means need to be employed. Transportation plans need to be fully integrated with packaging plans and be flexible enough to respond to emergencies.
Planning the retrieval of supplies from voting units is as important as planning the initial supply. Ensuring that all accountable materials are returned to secure storage is an essential guarantee of election integrity. Loss of accountable materials at this stage will immediately raise public suspicions about the validity of voting and counts.
Methods
Methods of transportation will depend on the terrain, weather conditions, time available for supply, and distances over which materials and equipment have to be transported. Whether direct distribution from a central store, or staged distribution from central to regional warehouses and then to voting units, is used will partially depend on transportation infrastructure and distances to be covered.
It may be efficient to enlist the assistance of other state agencies in the delivery and retrieval of voting unit supplies in the short time frames available. However, public trust and confidence in their use must be considered.
V Controls
Strict controls need to be applied, particularly for accountable voting materials and valuable supplies. A full audit trail of delivery and receipt documentation for accountable materials, from the time that supplies leave the manufacturer to their return to electoral management body stores following voting day, must be available.
Records of the locations of all supplies at any time must be rigorously maintained and personal accountability for their safekeeping enforced.
Pick-up of Materials
These arrangements can be more complex than delivery of materials to the voting unit and less likely to follow a pre-arranged timetable. Actual pick-up times from voting units will be affected by how quickly close of voting activities are completed (there may be long delays if large numbers of voters are in the voting unit at the time of close of voting), accounting and other records completed, and materials packaged. At the end of a long day, this may not be accomplished quickly.
Clear pick-up instructions must be conveyed to electoral officers and the importance of the rollback of election resources must be adhered to.
Pick-up schedules should allow for this. Most important is that there is liaison between the electoral officers at the field and the office, so that progress can be monitored and any adjustments to pick-up scheduling relayed to drivers.
Checking Return of Materials
The most important issue to check immediately on return of materials is that all accountable voting materials and equipment have been returned. The delivery and receipt audit trail maintained for materials delivery should be used to control returns. Particular care needs to be taken that all ballots have been returned, that all ballot accounting records have been correctly completed, and that portable equipment (mobile phones and personal radios especially) are returned.
Wherever possible, it is preferable that a schedule officer be present when materials are returned and checked into storage. Any missing accountable materials or equipment may be more readily traced with the assistance of the schedule officer at this stage.
Storage prior to voting
Materials and equipment for voting day are likely to be produced over a period of several weeks or even months.
Suitable storage facilities for such material and equipment should be put in place. It is important that the premises used for storage are both accessible and secure. Security in particular is of the utmost importance as this builds the confidence of the electorate and political parties in the election process.
Security
To secure the materials, it is advised that local government and state capitals are used where the terrain will not allow for easy distribution on the eve of the election.
Ballot Paper
The ballot papers which is the most sensitive of all the electoral material must be given serious and adequate attention in terms of logistics and this is where the professionals in this area should be involved, because if the logistics of the ballot papers is not gotten right, definitely the election cannot be right and, for this reason, the distribution system of the ballot papers must be up on time, handled professionally and well secured.
Voting Unit Management
It is preferable to appoint a person to be responsible for all operations at a polling unit called the polling unit officer, whose duty is to ensure that all procedures are followed in the conduct of election as laid down by the electoral management body. He is the presiding officer; in fact, the chief executive officer for the voting unit.
CONCLUSION
The 2015 elections are a very important event. As such, they should not be handled with levity. INEC should co-opt the services of professionals to help it design and execute this project as Nigerians will not take any excuse this time around.
_________________________________________________________________________
* OGUNADE, a constitutional lawyer, human rights activist and President, Voters Awareness Initiative, delivered this piece titled, ‘The impact of effective logistics movement and material distribution in an electioneering process and achieving success in national transition’, International Logistics and Administration’s National Conference and Fellow’s Investiture 2014.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/logistics-guide-2015-polls/#sthash.iG2JCEeO.dpuf
Nigeria is conducting an electioneering process ahead of 2015. We need to remove everything that may hinder a free and fair process.
Logistics planning is essential so that equipment, staff, and communications methods are in place for the successful operation.
To this end, INEC needs a strong strategy in place.
To ensure effective movement of electioneering materials, I propose that the following steps be followed.
The personnel should be trained on the use of communication gadgets as well as the materials they will use.
III. Communications
Communications during the election period requires that a thorough assessment be made of communication needs. Apart from the heightened flow of information within the election management body’s offices and the need to provide facilities for communication with voters, political parties, security forces, and other government agencies, there will be a large number of dispersed voting centers that will need to be in communication with their supervisors and other such officers.
IV Observers
Foreign and local observers must be taken into consideration.
Planning of transportation is a highly complex operation that needs to be completed well in advance of the election. The management resources needed to support an efficient election supplies transportation operation should not be underestimated, particularly where large geographic areas are involved and a wide range of transportation means need to be employed. Transportation plans need to be fully integrated with packaging plans and be flexible enough to respond to emergencies.
Planning the retrieval of supplies from voting units is as important as planning the initial supply. Ensuring that all accountable materials are returned to secure storage is an essential guarantee of election integrity. Loss of accountable materials at this stage will immediately raise public suspicions about the validity of voting and counts.
Methods
Methods of transportation will depend on the terrain, weather conditions, time available for supply, and distances over which materials and equipment have to be transported. Whether direct distribution from a central store, or staged distribution from central to regional warehouses and then to voting units, is used will partially depend on transportation infrastructure and distances to be covered.
It may be efficient to enlist the assistance of other state agencies in the delivery and retrieval of voting unit supplies in the short time frames available. However, public trust and confidence in their use must be considered.
V Controls
Strict controls need to be applied, particularly for accountable voting materials and valuable supplies. A full audit trail of delivery and receipt documentation for accountable materials, from the time that supplies leave the manufacturer to their return to electoral management body stores following voting day, must be available.
Records of the locations of all supplies at any time must be rigorously maintained and personal accountability for their safekeeping enforced.
Pick-up of Materials
These arrangements can be more complex than delivery of materials to the voting unit and less likely to follow a pre-arranged timetable. Actual pick-up times from voting units will be affected by how quickly close of voting activities are completed (there may be long delays if large numbers of voters are in the voting unit at the time of close of voting), accounting and other records completed, and materials packaged. At the end of a long day, this may not be accomplished quickly.
Clear pick-up instructions must be conveyed to electoral officers and the importance of the rollback of election resources must be adhered to.
Pick-up schedules should allow for this. Most important is that there is liaison between the electoral officers at the field and the office, so that progress can be monitored and any adjustments to pick-up scheduling relayed to drivers.
Checking Return of Materials
The most important issue to check immediately on return of materials is that all accountable voting materials and equipment have been returned. The delivery and receipt audit trail maintained for materials delivery should be used to control returns. Particular care needs to be taken that all ballots have been returned, that all ballot accounting records have been correctly completed, and that portable equipment (mobile phones and personal radios especially) are returned.
Wherever possible, it is preferable that a schedule officer be present when materials are returned and checked into storage. Any missing accountable materials or equipment may be more readily traced with the assistance of the schedule officer at this stage.
Storage prior to voting
Materials and equipment for voting day are likely to be produced over a period of several weeks or even months.
Suitable storage facilities for such material and equipment should be put in place. It is important that the premises used for storage are both accessible and secure. Security in particular is of the utmost importance as this builds the confidence of the electorate and political parties in the election process.
Security
To secure the materials, it is advised that local government and state capitals are used where the terrain will not allow for easy distribution on the eve of the election.
Ballot Paper
The ballot papers which is the most sensitive of all the electoral material must be given serious and adequate attention in terms of logistics and this is where the professionals in this area should be involved, because if the logistics of the ballot papers is not gotten right, definitely the election cannot be right and, for this reason, the distribution system of the ballot papers must be up on time, handled professionally and well secured.
Voting Unit Management
It is preferable to appoint a person to be responsible for all operations at a polling unit called the polling unit officer, whose duty is to ensure that all procedures are followed in the conduct of election as laid down by the electoral management body. He is the presiding officer; in fact, the chief executive officer for the voting unit.
CONCLUSION
The 2015 elections are a very important event. As such, they should not be handled with levity. INEC should co-opt the services of professionals to help it design and execute this project as Nigerians will not take any excuse this time around.
_________________________________________________________________________
* OGUNADE, a constitutional lawyer, human rights activist and President, Voters Awareness Initiative, delivered this piece titled, ‘The impact of effective logistics movement and material distribution in an electioneering process and achieving success in national transition’, International Logistics and Administration’s National Conference and Fellow’s Investiture 2014.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/logistics-guide-2015-polls/#sthash.iG2JCEeO.dpuf
Logistics planning is essential so that equipment, staff, and communications methods are in place for the successful operation.
To this end, INEC needs a strong strategy in place.
To ensure effective movement of electioneering materials, I propose that the following steps be followed.
- Personnel
- Recruitment
The personnel should be trained on the use of communication gadgets as well as the materials they will use.
- Logistics
- Allowance
- Politicians and government officials
- Materials
- Distribution
- Detailed planning of delivery and retrieval schedules, methods of transport to be used and routes
- Efficient means of splitting bulk deliveries of supplies into separate shipments for each voting location, avoiding wastage, yet ensuring that all voting units have sufficient supplies to service the voters.
- Adequate security for the specific environment.
- Storage appropriate for maintaining stocks for election materials and equipment in good condition.
- Comprehensive tracking of the movements of all election materials and equipment as they go through the distribution and return chain.
III. Communications
Communications during the election period requires that a thorough assessment be made of communication needs. Apart from the heightened flow of information within the election management body’s offices and the need to provide facilities for communication with voters, political parties, security forces, and other government agencies, there will be a large number of dispersed voting centers that will need to be in communication with their supervisors and other such officers.
IV Observers
Foreign and local observers must be taken into consideration.
- Transportation
Planning of transportation is a highly complex operation that needs to be completed well in advance of the election. The management resources needed to support an efficient election supplies transportation operation should not be underestimated, particularly where large geographic areas are involved and a wide range of transportation means need to be employed. Transportation plans need to be fully integrated with packaging plans and be flexible enough to respond to emergencies.
Planning the retrieval of supplies from voting units is as important as planning the initial supply. Ensuring that all accountable materials are returned to secure storage is an essential guarantee of election integrity. Loss of accountable materials at this stage will immediately raise public suspicions about the validity of voting and counts.
Methods
Methods of transportation will depend on the terrain, weather conditions, time available for supply, and distances over which materials and equipment have to be transported. Whether direct distribution from a central store, or staged distribution from central to regional warehouses and then to voting units, is used will partially depend on transportation infrastructure and distances to be covered.
It may be efficient to enlist the assistance of other state agencies in the delivery and retrieval of voting unit supplies in the short time frames available. However, public trust and confidence in their use must be considered.
V Controls
Strict controls need to be applied, particularly for accountable voting materials and valuable supplies. A full audit trail of delivery and receipt documentation for accountable materials, from the time that supplies leave the manufacturer to their return to electoral management body stores following voting day, must be available.
Records of the locations of all supplies at any time must be rigorously maintained and personal accountability for their safekeeping enforced.
Pick-up of Materials
These arrangements can be more complex than delivery of materials to the voting unit and less likely to follow a pre-arranged timetable. Actual pick-up times from voting units will be affected by how quickly close of voting activities are completed (there may be long delays if large numbers of voters are in the voting unit at the time of close of voting), accounting and other records completed, and materials packaged. At the end of a long day, this may not be accomplished quickly.
Clear pick-up instructions must be conveyed to electoral officers and the importance of the rollback of election resources must be adhered to.
Pick-up schedules should allow for this. Most important is that there is liaison between the electoral officers at the field and the office, so that progress can be monitored and any adjustments to pick-up scheduling relayed to drivers.
Checking Return of Materials
The most important issue to check immediately on return of materials is that all accountable voting materials and equipment have been returned. The delivery and receipt audit trail maintained for materials delivery should be used to control returns. Particular care needs to be taken that all ballots have been returned, that all ballot accounting records have been correctly completed, and that portable equipment (mobile phones and personal radios especially) are returned.
Wherever possible, it is preferable that a schedule officer be present when materials are returned and checked into storage. Any missing accountable materials or equipment may be more readily traced with the assistance of the schedule officer at this stage.
Storage prior to voting
Materials and equipment for voting day are likely to be produced over a period of several weeks or even months.
Suitable storage facilities for such material and equipment should be put in place. It is important that the premises used for storage are both accessible and secure. Security in particular is of the utmost importance as this builds the confidence of the electorate and political parties in the election process.
Security
To secure the materials, it is advised that local government and state capitals are used where the terrain will not allow for easy distribution on the eve of the election.
Ballot Paper
The ballot papers which is the most sensitive of all the electoral material must be given serious and adequate attention in terms of logistics and this is where the professionals in this area should be involved, because if the logistics of the ballot papers is not gotten right, definitely the election cannot be right and, for this reason, the distribution system of the ballot papers must be up on time, handled professionally and well secured.
Voting Unit Management
It is preferable to appoint a person to be responsible for all operations at a polling unit called the polling unit officer, whose duty is to ensure that all procedures are followed in the conduct of election as laid down by the electoral management body. He is the presiding officer; in fact, the chief executive officer for the voting unit.
CONCLUSION
The 2015 elections are a very important event. As such, they should not be handled with levity. INEC should co-opt the services of professionals to help it design and execute this project as Nigerians will not take any excuse this time around.
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* OGUNADE, a constitutional lawyer, human rights activist and President, Voters Awareness Initiative, delivered this piece titled, ‘The impact of effective logistics movement and material distribution in an electioneering process and achieving success in national transition’, International Logistics and Administration’s National Conference and Fellow’s Investiture 2014.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/logistics-guide-2015-polls/#sthash.iG2JCEeO.dpuf
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