External Evaluation Report

Transcription

1 External Evaluation Report Component One: Support to the Management of Elections

2 External Evaluation of the Lebanese Electoral Assistance Programme (LEAP) Component One: Support to the Management of Elections UN Project ID Start Date: 1 October 2012 Envisaged End Date: 31 December 2014 The UNDP Lebanese Elections Assistance Project is funded by the European Union, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the United Nations Development Programme. This report was commissioned by the UNDP Lebanese Elections Assistance Project as an external evaluation and was funded through a specific contribution made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the report lies entirely with the consultant evaluators and the UNDP Lebanese Elections Assistance Project. The contents of this external evaluation report do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Development Programme or of any of the donors to the UNDP Lebanese Elections Assistance Project.

3 Table of Contents Abbreviations 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BACKGROUND Electoral context"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""# 2.2. Donor assistance""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""$ 2.3. LEAP """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""% 2.4. LEAP Evaluation""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""& 3. FINDINGS Component 1: Support to the management of elections""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""& 3.2. Output 1.1: Support to official initiatives to introduce electoral reform""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""' 3.3. Output 1.2: Support to the development of an improved results management system""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""( 3.4. Output 1.3: Support to the development and delivery of official voter information campaign"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""")* 3.5. Output 1.4: Support to the adoption and implementation of measures to enhance vote secrecy"""""""""""""""""""""""")# 3.6. Output 1.5: Support to delivery of training and professional development to electoral officials"""""""""""""""""""""""""")$ 3.7. Output 1.6: Support to improved electoral management practices""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""")% 3.8. Output 1.7: Support to improving access to the electoral process for persons with disabilities"""""""""""""""""""""""""") Output 1.8: Support to lessons learned on election management"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""") Output 1.9: Support to accreditation of election observers and journalists"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""")& 3.11.Project design and implementation""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""")' 4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""#* 4.2. Recommendations""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""#) Annex 1: LEAP components and funding Annex 2. Status of USAID-funded activities within LEAP Component Annex 3: Status of recommendations from SEPIL project evaluation Annex 4: Persons met Annex 5: References Annex 6: Evaluation inception report Annex 7: Evaluation terms of reference... 32

4 Abbreviations BFSC BRIDGE CO CSO CTA DG DIM EAD EMB EU GEO IFES IT LADE LEAP MOIM MOJ MP NCEL NEX/NIM NDI PR ProDoc PWD SCEC SEPIL TOR UK UNDP USAID UNSCOL UNV Basket Fund Steering Committee (LEAP) Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections Country Office (UNDP) Civil Society Organization Chief Technical Advisor Democratic Governance Direct Implementation Modality Electoral Assistance Division Electoral Management Body European Union Global Elections Organization International Foundation for Electoral Systems Information Technology Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections Lebanese Electoral Assistance Project for the 2013 Parliamentary Elections Ministry of Interior and Municipalities Ministry of Justice Member of Parliament National Commission on Election Law (Boutros Commission) National Execution Mechanism, National Implementation Mechanism National Democratic Institute Proportional Representation Project Document (LEAP) Persons with disabilities Supervisory Commission on the Electoral Campaign Strengthening the Electoral Processes in Lebanon Terms of Reference United Kingdom United Nations Development Programme U.S. Agency for International Development United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon United Nations Volunteer

5 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background The Lebanese Electoral Assistance Programme (LEAP) for the 2013 Parliamentary Elections was designed as a 15-month project to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders for the conduct of transparent and inclusive parliamentary elections in Lebanon. It was a USD 6 to 10 million project supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It was implemented in a context of regional instability and political uncertainty, both in Lebanon and within the Arab region. An unresolved dispute over changes to electoral legislation and deterioration in the security environment led to the elections, anticipated for June 2013, being postponed. Polls should now be scheduled before November As a result, LEAP is being extended by 12 months, to the end of LEAP has five main components: support to the management of elections; support to the supervision of election campaigns; support to voter education initiative; support to the resolution of electoral disputes; and support to initiatives to improve election opportunities for women. A sixth component is anticipated to help implement electoral reforms if adopted. LEAP uses a direct implementation modality (DIM) managed by a project support team headed by a Chief Technical Adviser (CTA). The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MOIM) is the primary counterpart for Component 1. Component 1 had eight expected outputs (described below) with a ninth added in the workplan revision of August UNDP Lebanon commissioned this independent evaluation of LEAP Component 1 (support to the management of elections) which was the focus for USAID s funding. This evaluation took place in December This was scheduled to be at the end of USAID s participation in the project, but at the mid-point of an extended LEAP project. Findings Output 1.1: Strengthened MOIM capacity to promote issues of electoral reform. There was a significant need for an output focused on strengthening the electoral processes in Lebanon. The reform process started with the elections in 2009 is not yet completed and the type of electoral system is a major issue of contention within the country. Although this output is couched in terms of strengthening MOIM capacity to promote reforms, there is much this project could do to support this broader process. The legal and technical expertise within LEAP and UNDP are valuable resources. However, outside of UNDP country office management and the CTA, there was a lack of understanding of UNDP s institutional expertise and the constructive role that UNDP plays in other countries in this area. In addition, UNDP has other resources, such as its parliamentary support project, that could also make important contributions to these efforts, but which were not linked or leveraged. Output 1.2: Improved results processing framework in place for 2013 elections. LEAP assessed MOIM s existing systems which used large and cumbersome sheets to manually tally and transmit results. It has developed a smaller pre-printed model which will help reduce transcribing time and errors. It has also developed a pilot module to enter the results data electronically at the district level instead of at the national level. This will also speed up the transmission of results and allow for easier checking at the district level for errors. It appears likely MOIM will adopt this system if it is allowed for in the new legislation. Output 1.3: Strengthened EMB capacity for an effective voter information strategy. LEAP took over management of the elections website from a previous project and ensures its updating with a communications expert embedded in the Ministry. It also helped the MOIM develop its branding for the parliamentary elections through contracting a graphic designer. It also commissioned a witty voter information video spot with the MOIM to urge voters to check their registration data. This sparked discussion and was widely perceived as modern and fun. However, its actual impact in terms of increasing the number of voters who checked and corrected their registration information is not known as this type of performance data was not collected. LEAP developed a draft voter education strategy for the elections but needs the electoral law to know what changes, if any, will be done. 1

6 Output 1.4: Enhanced citizen s rights to cast a secret ballot. Most of the activities for this output focused on the development of an official ballot which is expected to be included in a new electoral law. LEAP provided the MOIM with prototypes for ballots tested in focus groups, researched printing options and security features, and brought an MOIM official to Jordan where the official ballot system was recently introduced. This has increased MOIM awareness of the operational issues involved in the printing, distribution and use of official ballots. If this change is authorized in the law, the MOIM appears ready and able to implement this provision with LEAP financial assistance since it is unsure if these costs will be covered in the electoral budget. This system is expected to increase the secrecy of the ballot as they will all be standard and not traceable back to a voter. Output 1.5: Strengthened capacity of electoral officials to perform their responsibilities for the 2013 elections. Most of these activities are intended to train officials for polling day which has not yet happened. However, LEAP has undertaken two small-scale training activities and arranged for four MOIM visits to other electoral management bodies (EMBs) 1 which increased their awareness on the operations and procedures of other EMBs. LEAP developed a cascade training plan that is ready to implement and is in the process of mapping the complex administrative arrangements at the district and local levels for election administration. This will prove useful for planning purposes and helping to improve the results processing framework and count system in Output 1.2. Output 1.6: Improved electoral management practices (procedural and operational). LEAP intended to support the development of a candidate registration unit and improve data management for this output. However, it was constrained by the lack of MOIM counterparts for these activities. MOIM has a small permanent staff for elections that also have other responsibilities. It has requested additional staff that will form a larger EMB core, but until that request is granted, and an election budget issued, it will be unable to create units such as for candidate registration or information technology (IT). LEAP introduced a computerized candidate registration system that also collected candidate photos in case an official ballot is adopted, but did it on a pilot basis and in parallel to the more manual official effort. This pilot was successful and gave the MOIM the ability to quickly issue registration statistics which is important for transparency and credibility purposes. This data base can then be used in the development for the official ballots should they be adopted. Output 1.7: Improved access for persons with disabilities. The project researched and developed a draft policy paper on persons with disabilities (PWD) in consultation with different government ministries and civil society groups (CSOs). It has also explored ways to improve access for PWD including ballot options. The policy has not yet been adopted or presented publically and LEAP appears to be its only owner at the moment. Output 1.8: Strengthened EMB capacity to review its role in the sustainable and effective management of elections. LEAP intended this as an after-action type of review and lessons learning process for the MOIM and others. Although the elections have not yet been held, MOIM capacity to review its role and how it administers the elections was strengthened by LEAP. In particular, the interaction between the CTA and project staff with the MOIM officials, the pilot efforts and procedures developed by the project team, and the exposure of MOIM officials to EMBs and electoral processes outside of Lebanon, have all contributed to an increased awareness and understanding of the relevant MOIM officials on how others manage their electoral processes and administration and how the processes within Lebanon compare with those other examples. Output 1.9: Support for accreditation of election observers and journalists. This output was initially placed in Component 2 which supports the Supervisory Commission for the Electoral Campaign (SCEC). However, as the SCEC has yet to be established, preparations for this activity were placed under Component 1. LEAP developed a draft accreditation plan and standard operational procedures that it expects to implement either in the MOIM or SCEC with the help of the UN Volunteers (UNVs) assigned to the project unless the electoral budget adopted includes funding for the creation of this unit, which was not anticipated during the evaluation timeframe. The procedures, database and software that LEAP plans to prepare will be the legacy that will be left with the MOIM or SCEC for its future observer units. 1 One of these to the Global Elections Organization (GEO) Conference in Korea which was attended by all EMBs worldwide. 2

7 Conclusions LEAP assistance helped the MOIM to plan and prepare for the elections so that it would have been ready had elections been called for June Although it was conceived as an elections project, it delivered much of its assistance with an electoral process perspective. This is essential to developing efficient and sustainable operations and systems which the MOIM will need, especially if reforms are adopted in the electoral law. The uncertainties over the elections date and the highly politicized context increased the value of LEAP. LEAP has provided a stable, continuing resource of technical expertise, funding, and an ability to fill critical gaps or needs as they arise for the MOIM. Its presence also demonstrates the continuing commitment of the international community to support the democratic electoral processes in Lebanon. This is especially important for institutions with EMB responsibilities, such as the MOIM, that have limited electionspecific staff and budget before an elections date is set. The DIM nature of the project was appropriate in the context and gave LEAP the ability to support the different actors and stakeholders in the electoral process. Sustainability of project results a key issue for LEAP. Without counterparts in many areas, it is playing an elections-focused gap-filling role. This is an important component of its assistance in the short term as the MOIM request for an expanded core staff for elections has yet to be approved. But this is something that needs to be addressed for the long term. The large number of LEAP staff is appropriate for an event-focused gap filling approach, but needs rethinking and reconfiguration for a long term electoral cycle project that focuses on electoral reform and institutional capacity building. UNDP as an institution is not fully engaged in this process beyond its demonstrated commitment to the LEAP project, and should develop programmatic synergies between LEAP and the other relevant projects in its democratic governance portfolio. LEAP itself has good leadership and a good team that has the respect of stakeholders. Recommendations Continued support to LEAP for the electoral process in Lebanon. LEAP was designed to support the parliamentary elections which are still to be held. But more importantly, the electoral processes in Lebanon are in transition, and LEAP is best positioned to support this process. It should take a more active role in supporting the national discussion on the electoral process and in particular on electoral law content. It should develop synergies with other UNDP DG projects, in particular, the support to parliament project which could provide technical support for the committee deliberations on the electoral law and increase advocacy efforts on international standards, increased staffing for electoral management, the early creation of the SCEC, and support for the eventual creation of an independent EMB-- whether within the executive branch or as an independent institution. The project should move as soon as it can from a gap-filling role to one of capacity building and institutional development. LEAP and UNDP should avoid the practice of placing long term consultants in the MOIM as this is not sustainable, and instead advocate for MOIM s plan for additional permanent staffing. The role of technical assistance should be to transfer knowledge and skills to counterparts rather than to do the work themselves. The project should continue as a DIM as this gives it the flexibility to support other important institutions and systems involved in the electoral process. 3

8 2. BACKGROUND 2.1. Electoral context 2013 political context The uncertainty surrounding the holding of the June 2013 elections in Lebanon was a good reflection of the uncertainty that was, and still is, dominating the country s political scene. In the past year, this has generated two United Nations Security Council statements reiterating the importance of preserving Lebanon s security, stability and independence. 2 The assassination of Brigadier General Wissam al-hassan, of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, in October 2012 led to a 14 March group boycott of the government and the March 2013 resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the Council of Ministers. Tammam Salam was appointed as the Prime Minister designate in April 2013 by President Seliman with political party support. However, the parties were unable to agree on the basis for the parliamentary elections expected for June 2013, and in May Parliament voted to extend its mandate until 20 November This postponed the elections to a yet-to-be determined date. Prime Minister Mikati and his government have remained in office as caretakers while the Prime Minister designated continues to consult with parties to form a new government. 3 This has left the ministries in a caretaker position as well which has limited their authority and mandates. Several of the country s key security and judicial positions are also vacant. The continuing conflict in Syria has also increased security concerns and the political polarization within Lebanon. Tensions between groups with different positions on Syria have led to armed sectarian clashes, including recurrent fighting in Tripoli, car bombs and suicide attacks targeting residential areas. It also had led to an influx of around one million Syrian refugees who pose enormous humanitarian, socio-economic and political challenges for Lebanon. 4 According to analysts met during the visit, within this political context political parties had no vested interest in actually holding elections, but preferred to wait for a clearer regional perspective. They also believe that Lebanese politicians are unlikely to accept conducting any elections that would jeopardize their ability to claim a majority in the elections or destabilize their standing with foreign alliances, in particular ahead of a much anticipated 2014 presidential elections that would be done by parliament. Electoral context Lebanon has had regular multi-party parliamentary elections since its independence (1948) with the civil war period being the only time when elections did not take place as scheduled. At independence, political leaders agreed to continue a confessional system which reserved political seats for Lebanon s confessional groups. At the end of the civil war, all sides signed the Taef Accord (1989). This introduced parity between Christians and Muslims and was formalized in the Lebanese constitution. This balance is reflected in Parliament s 128 deputy seats which are further sub-divided into 11 confessional branches (Chart 1). Members of Parliament (MPs) are directly elected by voters in a plurality-majority bloc vote system. 5 2 UN, Seventeenth semi-annual report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1599 (2004), April 2013, p 1 3 UN, Report of the Secretary-General on the Implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), June 2013, S/2013/381, p 2 4 According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), almost 800,000 Syrian refugees had been registered, with Government of Lebanon estimating that one million Syrians were in Lebanon. 5 Information on the electoral process from NDI, Final Report on the Lebanese Parliamentary Elections, June 7,

9 The 2009 parliamentary elections in particular marked an important milestone in Lebanese electoral history as it took place under strong international and national political support and interest and introduced several electoral management reforms. These were recommended by a 2006 National Commission for the Electoral Law (known as the Boutros Commission) which produced a draft electoral law. Their recommendations included the use of pre-printed ballots, a proportional representation (PR) system, one-day polling, a women s quota, an independent electoral commission, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, campaign finance and media regulations, overseas voting and increasing access for people with disabilities. "#$%&'(&)*+#,*-*&./*0%1$#/&23-%*4& "#$%&'()*+,( The 2008 electoral law adopted included the one-day election and campaign/media regulations along with the establishment of a semi-autonomous Supervisory Commission of the Electoral Campaign. The SCEC was created at the end of 2008 as a temporary body to monitor equal access to media for candidates and parties and the compliance of candidates, parties and the media with electoral rules and regulations. The MOIM administers the elections as illustrated in Chart 2. Its Directorate General for Political Affairs and Refugees registers candidates, trains poll workers and organizes polling operations. Its Directorate General of Personal Status is responsible for the voter registry which is extracted from the civil registry. Civil society and election observers continued to call for adoption of the remaining electoral reforms which are expected to increase the fairness and transparency of the elections and more equal access for PWD. The MOIM presented a draft electoral law to Parliament in October Three other laws were presented by various political parties, each with differing systems. These were discussed at the parliamentary committee level without reaching consensus on the type of electoral system to adopt, on the issue of out-ofcountry voting, or on redistricting. These are highly politicized and contentious issues since they are expected to change electoral outcomes. Lowering the voting age would require a constitutional amendment. The lack of agreement on the electoral system led to widespread uncertainty about the elections being held on time. The MOIM followed the timeline for the elections, submitting the list for the nominations for SCEC to the Council of Ministers in December 2012, and a request for a USD 12 million election budget. However, with the resignation of the government, the caretaker government did not have the authority to approve the election budget or appoint a SCEC. 6 The elections were postponed to 2014 once Parliament extended its mandate in May. 6 UNDP, LEAP 2 nd Quarterly Report 2012, p 5 3

10 Looking ahead into 2014 and beyond The national and regional political issues that led to the postponement of the parliamentary elections have not been resolved, leaving Lebanon with more ambiguity about its institutional deadlines, including the formation of a government and the forthcoming (indirect) presidential election due by May Amid this political uncertainty, there are no clear signs that a new date set for parliamentary elections would be respected. However, a low-profile, parliamentary sub-committee is still meeting and discussing the nondisputed aspects of the law which could pave the way for a more serious discussion at the suitable political moment. Looking further ahead, it is noted that municipal elections are scheduled for "#$%&'(&&)*+,%-$#*&.#/#0+1+/%&2%$3,%3$+&4/&5+6#/-/& "#$%&'()*+, 2.2. Donor assistance The international community has supported the strengthening of electoral processes in Lebanon since From 2005 to 2008 UNDP ran a Technical Assistance for Electoral Law Reform Project (about USD 1 million), which provided secretarial, logistical and technical support to the National Commission on Electoral Law (NCEL- also known as the Boutros Commission). This project worked through UNDP s entry points of electoral reform (50 percent), mobilization and coordination of resources (25 percent), women s participation (20 percent) and political parties (5 percent). From November 2008 to December 2010, UNDP had a Strengthening the Electoral Processes in Lebanon (SEPIL) project to enhance MOIM s capacity to administer more credible and fair elections in This was a USD 2,809,869 nationally executed project (NEX), implemented by the MOIM. It worked to strengthen electoral administration (25 percent), women s participation (20 percent), mobilization and coordination of resources (20 percent), electoral dispute resolution (15 percent), and building sustainable electoral processes (10 percent). It provided a CTA, Legal Advisor, Project Officer Communication Officer, ICT Officer and three support staff who were embedded in the MOIM. 7 For the 2009 elections, the EU also provided around Euro 4 million in technical assistance (to the MOIM and the SCEC and in electoral commodities (ballot boxes, polling booths and indelible ink). The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) also provided technical assistance to the same institutions with USAID funding of about USD 4.5 million. There were also separate projects supporting CSO participation in and observation of the process. 7 Information on 2005 and 2009 projects from the Lebanese case study of UNDP assistance done for the UNDP Evaluation Office s thematic evaluation of UNDP s Contribution to Strengthening Electoral Systems and Processes. 4

11 For the 2013 elections, international donor support for election administration was channeled through the UNDP LEAP project. In addition, donors are bilaterally supporting CSOs for electoral reform, observation and other efforts. In particular, the EU has a Euro 2.5 million project to support CSO efforts to reform the electoral framework in line with international standards and the recommendations of the 2005 and 2009 EU election observation missions. USAID is also providing support through the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to support CSO advocacy for electoral reform and national observation, in particular working with the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) and the Civil Campaign for Electoral Reform (CCER) a coalition of 64 CSOs working to promote a more inclusive electoral law LEAP The LEAP project was designed as a USD 6 to 10 million fifteen month project intended to support the parliamentary elections expected in June It was based on the findings of a March 2012 United Nations Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) conducted by the UN Electoral Assistance Department (EAD) and UNDP, and supported by the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL). The NAM recommended that UN support to Lebanese elections continue for these elections, and that UNDP should be the principle vehicle for the provision of UN assistance. The LEAP project was signed on 7 December 2012 with the MOIM. It has a project period of 1 October December UNDP expects to extend LEAP until 31 December 2014 with the delayed parliamentary elections expected before then. UNDP manages a basket fund for the project which has contributions from the UK (USD 403,877) and UNDP (USD 50,000). USAID and the EU also contributed to the project but earmarked their funding for specific activities. As a result their funding is considered as separate from the basket fund. USAID funding was provided in the form of a grant to UNDP Lebanon (AID-268-IO ). It originally had a project duration of 1 September 2012 to 31 August This was later extended to 31 December The original grant amount was USD 1,699, This was reduced to USD 1 million in August EU, UK and UNDP funding is expected to remain in the project through USAID funding was earmarked for four activities within Component 1 (Outputs and 1.8). EU funding (USD 6,348,615) was also earmarked for Components 1, 2, 3 and 4 (Annex 1). The LEAP project document was based on two scenarios. Scenario One was for support to an election that used more or less the same system and legal framework as the 2009 elections. This had an anticipated budget of USD 6, in the project document (ProDoc). Scenario Two anticipated reforms and included ballot procurement and a small grant program for voter information on the new systems. This raised the total anticipated budget for LEAP to USD 10, With the reduction of the USAID funding in August 2013, the revised project budget total for Scenario 1 was USD 5,396,849 with a new project total of USD 9,432,300 for Scenario Two. A reallocation of budget among components and outputs was done in a revised workplan of August 2013 that reflected the lower budget total for Scenario One. The LEAP project focused on strengthening the capacity of stakeholders for the conduct of the 2013 elections and used a multi-component approach. LEAP has five components for Scenario one, with a sixth component to be added for Scenario two. These are: 1. Support to the management of elections; 2. Support to the supervision of campaigns; 3. Support to voter education; 4. Support to the resolution of election disputes; 5. Support for the participation of women in elections; and, 6. Support to the implementation of reform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

12 "#$%&'(&)*+,&-%#../01& The LEAP project is executed through a direct implementation modality where the UNDP Country Office (CO) assumes responsibility and accountability for project deliverables. Leadership was to be provided by the UNDP Resident Representative who is also the UN Resident Coordinator and Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon. UNDP recruited a Chief Technical Adviser who also served as project manager and according to the Project Document, was to be supported by staff of 15. This included a National Adviser, a National Project Officer, a Legal/Electoral Officer, a Gender/Electoral Officer, a Communications Officer, a Media and Outreach Officer, a Research/Electoral Officer, and Administrative and Finance Assistant, a Reporting/Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, a Civil Society/Grants Officer, Training Officer, ICT Coordinator, two Procurement Assistants and a Driver. The current configuration of 13 LEAP staff and seven UNVs is illustrated in Chart 4. LEAP also expected to recruit national and international consultants as needed. A Project Board/Basket Fund Steering Committee (BFSC) was to be established to provide oversight of project management which included representatives of the UNDP CO, the primary project beneficiary (MOIM), project donors and the CTA with a CSO representative as observer. The project team works out of rented space in the UNDP CO and the MOIM has also provided working space within its offices where two LEAP staff work on almost a full-time basis. "#$%&'(&&)*+,&-./01%&#2234#%5367& "#"$%&$'(')*+#+,('-./$*01#0$.2&3-' 6

13 2.4. LEAP Evaluation UNDP Lebanon commissioned this independent evaluation of its LEAP project assistance for Component 1. The purpose of the evaluation was to provide UNDP, USAID and the MOIM with an independent review of the USAID-funded activities, which is expected to be used to improve future assistance in these activity areas. This evaluation took place in November- December 2013, with the field work done in Lebanon from 2-14 December The evaluation was conducted by Sue Nelson, International Team Leader and Nabil Hassan, National Expert. The team undertook a qualitative assessment of the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of Component 1 activities and the factors that affected project performance. It used a triangulation methodology and mixed methods of analysis to draw conclusions and make recommendations based on stakeholder perceptions and the information available. In particular it: Collected information and perceptions on LEAP through interviews with UNDP, LEAP project staff, its donors, MOIM, CSOs and others (Annex 4); Reviewed LEAP and other relevant documentation (Annex 5); and, Validated information through these two means as well as through the use of additional data sources and third party interviews. The methodology for the evaluation is provided in the Evaluation Inception Report (Annex 6). evaluation s Terms of Reference (TOR) are provided in Annex 7. The The evaluation team produced this Evaluation Report. Evaluation findings are organized around the nine anticipated outputs for Component 1, followed by issues of project design and implementation. It closes with the evaluation s conclusions and recommendations. The status of the USAID-funded activities as of the end of December 2013 is provided in Annex 2. The status of recommendations implemented by LEAP from the earlier SEPIL project evaluation is provided in Annex FINDINGS 3.1. Component 1: Support to the management of elections The objective for Component 1 was to strengthen capacity for the management and administration of the 2013 parliamentary elections in Lebanon. LEAP intended to do this through the adoption of key electoral reforms and administrative procedures that will strengthen public confidence that the elections are credible, transparent and inclusive. LEAP planned to partner with the bodies responsible for elections management, specifically the MOIM which has the primary responsibility for electoral operations, along with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which also have some responsibilities. 8 To accomplish the Component 1 objectives, LEAP intended to support activities in eight areas. A ninth area was moved from Component 2 to Component 1 in the workplan revision of August These included strengthening official initiatives to introduce reforms, capacity building for election administration, strengthening voter information and education efforts, and supporting the adoption of improved electoral management and operation practices. The anticipated budget for Component 1 was USD 2,532,000 in the project document. This was 42 percent of the total project budget for Scenario 1 and 25 percent of the budget for Scenario 2. Of this, USD 268,193 had been used 9 as of the time of the evaluation. Many of the activities listed within Component 1 are not yet completed as they were linked to the holding of an election event which has not yet occurred. A realignment of the budget was done in an August 2013 workplan and reflected the reduction of USAID s intended 8 UNDP, LEAP Project Document, p. 6 9 All budget figures are used for illustrative purposes only. Figures listed as ProDoc were taken from the Project Document. The workplan reallocations and expended figures were taken from LEAP worksheets and may not reflect UNDP financial reports. Used or expended in this case means the amount used to date by the project, as tracked by the project for their planning purposes. 7

14 contribution. This reduced the total for Component 1 to USD 2,068,570 (illustrated in Chart 5). Another realignment is currently being done for 2014 that will reflect the situation and activities as of the end of "#$%&'(&)*+),-,%&./&0123-%&455)6#%7),8&9&:8-& 3.2. Output 1.1: Support to official initiatives to introduce electoral reform The objective for Output 1.1 was to support official initiatives by the MOIM and other Lebanese actors to promote electoral reform, in particular through measures to support the passage of electoral legislation through Parliament. LEAP expected to accomplish this through the provision of technical assistance on electoral reform issues, the production of briefing materials on electoral reform initiatives, the publication and translation of draft legislation on line and to serve as a resource on reform issues. This was expected to result in a strengthened MOIM capacity to promote issues of electoral reform. The anticipated budget for Output 1.1 was USD 30, percent of this was to be used for materials, with the remaining costs covering technical assistance. This total for Output 1.1 was reduced to USD 14,001 in the August 2012 workplan, of which USD 352 has been used so far, primarily for the printing of materials. This is an extremely important output for a UNDP project providing electoral assistance in a context such as Lebanon. The issue of electoral reform and the lack of consensus on the type of electoral system to adopt is one of the major reasons for the delay in the elections. The electoral bill is still at the sub-committee level within Parliament and will decide many of the procedural and technical aspects of electoral administration. The legal and technical expertise within LEAP and UNDP as an institution are extremely useful resources that could be used to help inform the ongoing discussions. It has an experienced CTA and wellqualified Legal Electoral Adviser who have researched potential reforms and their impact on the electoral process and administration. They have provided information to the MOIM and others during briefing sessions and upon request. However, LEAP resources are not sufficiently used to promote the objectives of this output. There is much that this project could do to support the reform process and help to strengthen the framework for more credible and inclusive elections beyond serving as a resource for the MOIM and the international community. The issue of electoral reform entails a range of issues beyond the nature of the electoral system and districting which the NAM felt were in UNSCOL s mandate rather than UNDP s due to their sensitive and polarizing nature in the Lebanese context. However, UNSCOL has a narrow perspective of UNDP s potential contribution to the process and outside of the UNDP CO management and the CTA, the evaluation found a lack of understanding of the constructive role that UNDP plays in the electoral reform process (in the broad sense) in other countries. In particular, in supporting the discussion on the content of the draft electoral law and serving as a resource for law makers. In addition, UNDP has other resources, such as its parliamentary support project, that could also make important contributions to these efforts, but which have not been leveraged or linked. 8

15 Supporting electoral system reform is one of UNDP s ten entry points for providing electoral assistance. This is defined as support to help develop more credible and inclusive electoral processes, systems and institutions. 10 There is also recent UN policy guidance on the provision of support for electoral system reform. 11 This notes that the provision of advice on electoral system design or reform is both a technical and a political matter. While UNSCOL has the responsibility for policy discussions and direction of discussions as recommended by the NAM, there still is much that UNDP and LEAP could contribute to the technical aspects of electoral system reform. These include: promoting an inclusive, consultative, transparent process of reform, advising national actors on the substance of an inclusive electoral system, promoting an understanding among national actors of the features and typical effects - both technical and political - of electoral systems used around the world ; encouraging and if requested facilitating dialogue among national actors on the desired objectives and features of the electoral system; and reviewing the different impact of proposed electoral systems on the political participation of women and any traditionally marginalized groups Output 1.2: Support to the development of an improved results management system The objective for Output 1.2 was to improve the framework for processing election results to ensure that the process is prompt, transparent, reliable and accurate. LEAP expected to do this through helping to improve the results procedures, training officials responsible for the results, and by providing needed IT and software for the results system. The anticipated budget for Output 1.2 was USD 321,500, with sixty-eight percent of this earmarked for equipment (Chart 6). The output budget was lowered in the August 2013 reallocations to USD 168,069. Of this USD 22,340 was expended for an international expert on results and software. This was an area where the project could start to work early on as it involved the improvement of technical procedures. The existing system is manual, and uses large and cumbersome sheets of paper which are filled in by hand at the polling station with the names of the candidates and with the results of the vote tally. These are sent to the district level where they were scanned in 2009 by large plotters provided by the EU. The data was then entered into a computer database at the central level. The project developed a smaller version of the sheets where the candidates names will be pre-printed that will facilitate the entry of results data. This is ready to introduce when the elections are called. This will help to reduce transcribing time and errors in the results process and it appeared likely that the MOIM will adopt this system. "#$%&'(&)$*+*,&-./01%&#22*,#%3*45&6*$&7.%8.%&9:;& LEAP also plans to undertake a pilot effort to enter the results electronically at the district level instead of at the national level. This will allow for easier checking at the district level for accuracy of the data entered. The 10 UNDP, Evaluation of UNDP s Contribution to Strengthening Electoral Systems and Processes, Table 1, p UN Focal Point for Electoral Assistance, UN support to electoral system design and reform. This policy guidance states that the main objective for UN personnel providing support and advice on electoral systems- when requested - should be to support national actors in a way that allows them to take fully informed decisions, based on a broad and shared understanding of their international obligations and political objectives, and to adopt a systems that: conforms to a country s international obligations and commitments; (is) designed taking into account a country s political, legal, social and cultural circumstances; (is) based on a clear understanding among national actors of what the system is intended to achieve; helps create inclusive political processes and eliminate conflict drivers (where applicable) such as systemic discrimination and exclusion; allows for the development of new political options that may emerge; (is) developed through an inclusive and participatory process; and (is) not subject to frequent changes shortly before an election. (p 6) 12 Ibid 9

16 project started to map the polling stations and results centers and their facilities with the time it had after the elections were postponed. It found a complex electoral administrative process at the local levels that involved the Ministry of Justice, local authorities and others in addition to the MOIM. It also found that most of these centers do not have computers that could be used for a digital process. LEAP will use the information gathered to inform the choice of technology for the pilot effort. This information should also prove useful for other project activities, such as training of polling officials, operational planning and other logistical and capacity building efforts. Although there are no counterparts as of yet to train on the new systems, LEAP is developing standard operating procedures for the results process and manuals that will help increase the consistency of results processing and help to serve as an institutional memory for the MOIM. A secondary result from this exercise is that the project found issues with the warehousing of electoral commodities. Among other things, the warehouses are storing commodities purchased by the EU project for the 2009 elections, such as the transparent ballot boxes and screens which are expected to be reused for the next elections. But the warehouse is under the MOIM building which is damp, and requires inventory control and better storage conditions. The project is prepared to assist the MOIM to address these issues and their interaction with LEAP on these issues has increased the awareness of MOIM officials on some of the issues that need to be addressed between elections which they appreciated Output 1.3: Support to the development and delivery of official voter information campaign The objective for Output 1.3 was to result in a strengthened capacity for the MOIM to develop and deliver an effective voter information strategy that informs citizens of important elements of the electoral process. The project intended to achieve this through support to design and implement a strategic voter information campaign, and updating and maintaining the elections.gov.lb website. It also intended to enable opportunities for public inspection of the voter registry and establish an Elections 2013 media center as a focal point for electoral information. The estimated ProDoc budget for this output was USD 827,000. This was reduced to USD 621,613 in the August 2013 workplan reallocations. Of this USD 228,592 has been spent so far (Chart 7). "#$%&'(&)*%+*%&,-.&/*012%&#3345#%6478&9&*82& 10

17 LEAP support for this output achieved strategic results. According to interviews, its support helped to create positive perceptions about MOIM s readiness for elections and produced visible Elections 2013 products. The project contracted a graphic designer to develop the Elections 2013 logo and brand (Box 2), which was widely used by the MOIM on all its materials. It also contracted and led a check your voter registration information campaign for the MOIM that ran for a month in February - March 2013 (Boxes 3 and 4). It used a multi-media approach to disseminate the registration campaign information. This included posting banners on websites popular with youth (such as Beirut Nightlife) and advertising in cinemas. This all helped to build momentum for the elections and increased the reach of the campaign to the demographic groups. 13 It also established a social media presence for the MOIM creating an Elections 2013 Facebook page and twitter account. Voter registration marked the first milestone of the electoral cycle and one of the few ones that could publically reflect MOIM s readiness in the early months of 2013, when many political actors were starting to raise the issue of readiness for the elections. Having an Elections 2013 logo to use and delivering a witty and highly visible check-your-voter- registration campaign helped the MOIM appear ready for its work. This in turn could be expected to increase voter confidence in the process and in the ability of the MOIM to manage the process. "#$6&$78)-(/"01$69:%$;"5"$ "#$%&$'"()*$)+,-.(/"0$12"($3"*$4"()*$*)5/1(*.(/"0$ "#$%&$$'"()*$*)+,-(*.(,"/$0.12.,+/$-(.(,-(,0-$ "#$%&'()*(+$,$"#$-*(./$0#"12$ $ 3.+.4,/)$.5-&$3$ 6)7-2.2)*$.5-&$40$ 8'$92"(&$$ 4"5$678&9$,::;".*5-&$$:5;$<*.&9$ <.5,"$92"(&$3"4$678&9$ =,/)1.$$.5&$1=0;>$678&9$ A"B8B;)&$;=14"$B7&C9$7D$1$@*+9$$ >.0);""C&$$ :=00"$<*D9$7D$:$C&&E9F$ D);$;.//)*-&$4$976&9$<(?8$D&C9$976&9$$6?$D7G/6A7<&$?D&9$ >.0);""C$E5-&$;$*@9$(&9)A6&@$7D$:"=34"$.A7.E9=$"=##;=">5$ H&?HA&$(&*./&@$ >.0);""C$0"/()/(&$I&&D$05=>0#=5>1$678&9$7D$:$C&&E9$'+$ ;=>44=:15$)D7J)&$)9&(9$ "#$%&'()*+,( The actual impact however, of the campaign either on increasing public confidence or the accuracy of the voter registry, is unknown as the project was unable to gather impact information for the voter information campaign or use of the 2013 elections logo. The MOIM does not keep website use data that could have been used to track any increase in the number of persons who checked their registration data after seeing the ads. It also did not collect any public perception data about the electoral process and machinery that could have been used to target the information campaign and measure changes in public confidence in the process and its institutions. The project has some reach information provided by the firm that ran the voter registration campaign and website statistics. Some of these seem to be very large numbers and how they were calculated is not clear to the evaluators. For instance, how 41,671 clicks reported for Facebook ads equated into one million people reached, or how the Facebook content was seen almost 30 million times in four weeks by almost 6 million unique users. 14 According to the firm, the 5 Facebook ads were placed on Facebook s ad space (right hand column on screen) and that the almost 6 million unique views included paid reach through ads placed in that space plus organic reach through Facebook content, YouTube videos, Twitter and word of mouth. 15 There was a good response to the Facebook page when started in January 2013 with 4,221 fans in four weeks. This was not sustained with only 39 more likes registered by the end of March 2013 and another LEAP, powerpoint presentation age group: 25.2 percent, 25-34: 37 percent; 35-44: 18.7 percent. Facebook site showed majority of likes were from age group. 14 January 2013 figure from LEAP, Untitled powerpoint presentation, 31 March 2013 figure from LEAP quarterly report, 31 December 2013 figure from facebook page. The evaluators also note that the number of Facebook subscribers in Lebanon in March 2013 was 1.6 million according to SocialBakers. SocialBakers also reports that the website Beirut Nightlife had 79,389 fans, and the Lebanese armed forces site: 72, clarifications to evaluation team from Memac Ogilvy through LEAP dated 23 December

18 by end December Most Facebook activity ended in June The Twitter page showed 268 followers as of the end of 2013, an increase of 100 from March Twitter recorded 145 tweets, with its activity also ending in June The ad campaign for the voter registration was also posted on YouTube which is a good way to extend reach. Project reporting states there were 5,371 views in three days. By the end of 2013, YouTube statistics show the main spot was seen almost 12,500 times, with the other nine video clips that were uploaded of production outtakes for each of the characters in the ad, receiving about views each. LEAP also developed a draft voter education strategy and has production ready versions for a campaign on the electoral law. But, as with the other parts of the voter education plan, it cannot be finalized until the electoral law is adopted. Voter information needs will vary depending on the reforms adopted in legislation. If reforms are minimal, it is likely that the MOIM will engage in a motivational campaign to urge voters to get out and vote. However, if significant electoral reforms are adopted, including the provision of an official ballot paper, a more substantive voter information campaign will be needed to explain the changes and use of the ballots. LEAP is preparing for both scenarios. The project continues to provide daily support to the MOIM for election related communications through LEAP s Communications Adviser who spends half his time every day at the Ministry. LEAP intends to leave the products of its voter registration information efforts with the MOIM however, there was no long term institutional capacity strengthening done. There is no voter education/information counterpart within the MOIM that it could train on the voter education and information process, and the counterpart for the media campaign was the embedded LEAP consultant who fills the MOIM media position. A similar analysis can be made about the elections website. The project took over the elections.gov.lb website from a previous project and continues to update it regularly. This is beneficial as a product reflecting MOIM s commitment to elections and as a source of information for stakeholders. Yet there is no MOIM counterpart for the website. LEAP staff members translate materials for the site, collect news articles and press releases, and upload the content on a regular basis since it was revamped and launched again by the project in May The MOIM told the evaluation team that it intended to expand its permanent electoral structure and recruit a webmaster (among other positions) but approvals are still pending due to the complex bureaucratic public recruitment system and hiring freeze. The fact that the elections website is completely dependent on the project and has not been taken over or maintained by the MOIM since it was created in 2008 raises sustainability concerns. Addressing this, and other sustainability issues, would require a different approach-- one that supported MOIM efforts to expand its structure and to get an adequate electoral budget approved. This would help the MOIM to obtain the staff and resources needed for sustainable results. In the case of the website, this would allow the project to equip, train and mentor permanent MOIM media and IT staff who could then take over and maintain the website and its content Output 1.4: Support to the adoption and implementation of measures to enhance vote secrecy The objective for Output 1.4 was to strengthen capacity within electoral management bodies to prepare, develop and deliver new procedures that safeguard voter secrecy and building public confidence in the credibility of the 2013 elections. LEAP expected to do this through supporting the MOIM to develop official ballot papers, advocate for the introduction of ballot counting at the polling center level rather than the polling station level, and by supporting initiatives for absentee voting since not all voters are at their traditional homes of residence where they are registered. LEAP intended to support the development of these alternative systems for MOIM advocacy with Parliament for inclusion in the electoral law, develop draft procedures for their implementation if adopted and provide training on them. The anticipated budget for Output 1.4 was USD 561,000. Of this the largest expenditures were expected to be for the design of an official ballot (41 percent) and IT equipment for absentee voting (31 percent). Funding for the ballots themselves was expected in the ProDoc under Scenario Two, Component 6. The amount for Output 1.4 was reduced to USD 90,484 in the workplan allocations of August 2013 (USD 68, LEAP, Untitled powerpoint presentation 17 LEAP, Quarterly Report, Jan-March

19 for ballot preparations, USD 6,000 for count system, and USD 15,500 for absentee voting). Of this USD 833 has been expended for the design of ballot papers. Within this output, LEAP has focused much of its efforts on the development of prototype ballot papers. This is one of the most substantial pieces of work for Component one. LEAP used a strategic and comprehensive approach that saw the ballots as part of the larger process of candidate registration, electoral operations and results transmission. The extra time provided by the delay in the elections enabled LEAP to put more thought and effort into this activity. It has a strategic vision for how all of these pieces should come together, both in an operational sense, and in strengthening the integrity and efficiency of the electoral processes in Lebanon. In previous elections Lebanon used a system of informal ballots where the voters brought a piece of paper to the polls with their choices written out, either done by themselves or handed out to them by parties and candidates. This compromised the secrecy of the vote as it enabled the tracing back of votes to the voter, especially since the counts were done at the polling station level. Developing a pre-printed ballot and moving the count to the next level up (polling centers) were being discussed in the electoral law reform and are expected to increase the secrecy of the vote if adopted. "#$%&$'((")$*+")"),*-$ LEAP developed several prototype ballots which it tested in focus groups and came up with an easy to read color prototype that fits on a reasonable sized sheet of paper, includes the candidates photos and party identification. In addition, it researched paper type, security features and printing options and has draft procedures ready to go if the official ballots are included in the electoral law. In addition, it brought the acting MOIM Director General of Political Affairs and Refugees, who is responsible for electoral operations, to visit the EMB in Jordan which has recently adopted an official ballot system. This visit was extremely relevant as the EMB was able to share its experiences and lessons learned with the MOIM. This increased awareness within the department of the operational and educational issues involved in the switch to official ballots, including issues of printing, distribution, use and protection. If this change is authorized in the law, the MOIM appears ready and able to implement this provision with LEAP technical and financial assistance since it is unsure if these costs will be covered in the electoral budget. LEAP has funding for ballot printing in Component 6 but as it is currently operating under a Scenario 1 situation and budget, UNDP will need to mobilize the funding for that component if it is needed. This is a sizeable amount in the project document (USD 3,375,000). "#$%&'(&)$*+*,&-./01%&#22*,#%3*45&6*$&7.%8.%&9:;& The LEAP activities being done under Output 1.2 to map the results transmission process and facilities will also be useful for the development of an alternative count system. All of these systems are linked, including the candidate registration process, where information and photos were collected and which LEAP helped to digitize in a pilot effort under Output 1.6. This enabled the printing of realistic prototype ballots and will figure into the manner in which they are counted and results transmitted. 13

20 Work on voter absentee systems is unlikely to start as some of the solutions being discussed, such as the creation of mega-centers within metropolitan areas for voters to use instead of returning to their place of registration, is beyond the scope of the LEAP project in terms of level of effort and funding Output 1.5: Support to delivery of training and professional development to electoral officials The objective for Output 1.5 was to strengthen the capacity of the MOIM to develop and deliver an effective strategy for the training of electoral officials. This was to be done through developing a training strategy built on training needs assessment with integration of lessons learned from previous experience. The strategy was envisioned to include support for the development of polling manuals and training material production with cascade training for polling officials. The ProDoc budget for Output 1.5 was USD 480,000. This was increased to USD 481,082 in the August 2013 workplan. Of this USD 16,076 was used, primarily for training consultants and a survey according to project worksheets. Except for a handful of full time election employees, the vast majority of election staff are allocated to the MOIM after the official call for elections is issued. This complicates implementation of the training activities since the electoral date was uncertain and the electoral budget is not yet been authorized. The content for the training was also dependent on what was adopted in the electoral law. In addition, MOIM staff who work on elections have other responsibilities which takes their time, and public sector institutions lack a culture of training and capacity building in general. The MOIM has no training officer or unit. This all contributes to a challenging training environment and results in the project implementing the training activities, rather than building EMB capacity to develop and deliver the training themselves. At the same time, lower level staff were extremely interested in professional development, especially participation in the exchanges with other EMBs. In anticipation of the elections, the project has prepared a training strategy and redesigned version of the polling manual as well as a script for a training video to replace the cascade training. But it has not yet implemented the planned training needs assessment or documented the lessons learned from the 2009 elections training. It also provided two training session for MOIM permanent staff. The first was a one-day training done in coordination with the Director-General of Personal Status for 65 electoral officials responsible for updating voter registration. "#$%&'(&)*%+*%&,-.(&/*012%&#3345#%6478&9&*82& The second training session was a condensed three-day Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) training in August This was oriented towards civil society organizations and project staff but which included a few MOIM staff. The LEAP project CTA and staff felt this training was useful as not all of the LEAP staff had previous electoral assistance experience. It was also perceived as useful by the MOIM staff who attended. The delay in the elections allowed the project to sponsor a series of study visits in which key MOIM officials and staff visited other EMBs in coordination with country, regional and global UNDP programs (Box 6). In general these were relevant and effective as it raised participant awareness of how officials work in different systems and how those systems operated. They were also useful because each went for a specific learning purpose and the most appropriate person for that element was sent from the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

21 For Korea, the project sponsored the visit of the Minister s Elections Advisor who represented the MOIM at a global conference of electoral organizations (GEO). This gave him the opportunity to meet with the EMBs from the region and from around the world and to share the experience of Lebanon with the group. It also enabled Lebanon to participate in the creation of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) that was held immediately before the GEO and generated the invitation from the EMB in India to observe their elections. The visit to Jordan was particularly useful as Jordan had recently created an independent EMB and adopted pre-printed ballots, so its experience was most relevant to the proposed reforms that the MOIM might have to implement if adopted in the electoral law. The DG who went, and who took over her duties in 2013, found it extremely useful. In particular, to learn about the chain of events needed if a pre-printed ballot was adopted (where to print the ballots, security features for the ballots, secure storage, distribution and retrieval). It also raised her awareness on the need for improved warehousing conditions (discussed in Output 1.2). The trip to India was useful in seeing how a large and well-organized EMB operated on polling day. However, it also illustrates the need to ensure the pros and cons of different options encountered are discussed and better understood during visits as it has put the issue of electronic voting on the table for participants, but not all of the technological solutions used in one country will be appropriate in others Output 1.6: Support to improved electoral management practices Output 1.6 was intended to result in an improved procedural and operational framework for elections through the introduction of best practices for effective electoral management. The plan included support for more effective operational planning schemes and integrated data-management framework. LEAP intended to assess current MOIM data management capacity and develop and install a new data management process along with the related operational tools. The ProDoc and workplan budget for this output was USD 187,500 of which USD 4,572 was used for equipment. The ProDoc budget allocations were for TA for the development of the data management process, contracting a data management company, training for electoral officials and purchase of equipment for the operations room (Chart 10). Although the budget allocations were focused on the data management aspects of EMB operations, LEAP worked on the broader aspects of EMB management, which was appropriate in the context. It worked with the MOIM to improve its operational planning for the 2013 elections. The basic plan had already been developed by the CTA and adopted by the MOIM before LEAP started. However, LEAP worked to update the plan and flesh out its different components in preparation for the anticipated elections in June. It developed a timeline for electoral administration that illustrates the amount of time required for each part of the process and is updating it on a regular basis as the elections date continues to slip, so that it is current. These are extremely useful resources for elections management and planning. As part of this, the project developed draft procedures and manuals that will need to be adopted depending on any reforms adopted by in the electoral law. One of the first important milestones for electoral operations, and the second visible milestone for the electoral process after voter registration was the candidate registration that took place before the elections were postponed. In this support of the LEAP team was of crucial importance. LEAP worked with the MOIM Directorate-General of Political Affairs and Refugees to improve the process for candidate registration by developing a standardized registration form to assure the collection of consistent information from all candidates. This included the collection of photos from each candidate. This was coupled by the development of a customized candidate database that could then be used for the printing of ballots if adopted, and for the result forms. Previously candidate registration forms were manually filled and were not uniform. "#$%&'()&*+%,+%&'-.&/+012%&#3345#%6478&,2$&9$4:45& 15

22 LEAP also did a parallel digital input of names allowing for a rapid analysis of candidate profiles and the production of a report which was extremely useful for the MOIM to use with the media. This parallel effort provided an effective demonstration of the benefits of strategic planning and recognizing the interrelationship between different EMB tasks such as candidate registration with ballot production. LEAP also played an important support role for the MOIM during the 2013 registration of candidates. The MOIM was constrained by the lack of an elections budget and the personnel needed to create units such as for candidate or observer registration. More than two-thirds of the candidates registered the last two days of registration (546 out of 705 candidates). This overwhelmed the MOIM staff processing the applications. LEAP staff and UNVs worked with the MOIM in a massive and successful effort to process all of the applications within the deadline. This provided the candidates and others with a second visible sign that the MOIM was ready and able to manage the electoral process which is a critical part of maintaining public confidence in electoral administration and the credibility of the process. However, the lack of adequate EMB staff and budget to cover the core functions of election administration are issues that need to be addressed Output 1.7: Support to improving access to the electoral process for persons with disabilities Output 1.7 supports MOIM efforts to enable equal electoral participation by persons with disabilities by facilitating meetings of an ad hoc inter-agency Working Group on Disability Access and to purchase needed technical equipment and support to improve accessibility for PWD if necessary. This output had an estimated budget of USD 140,000 which was increased in the August 2013 workplan to USD 170,000. Seventy-one percent of the ProDoc allocations were for the purchase of equipment to increase PWD access (Chart 11). As of the date of the evaluation, nothing had yet been spent. CQ0/-$55&$*/"N"E$:;MA.-$022"E0-1",B$D"/$G;-P;-$5RS$ $ Improving access for PWDs to the electoral process is a longtime reform advocated by civil society groups and international election observation missions. It is also seen as one of the few reforms which has no political implications and that has consensus on being implemented. The LEAP team has done the initial work for this output. It conducted a thorough research on accessibility issues and the use of tactile ballots and other mechanisms that can be used for the visually impaired, including the various options available and their cost. The project established contact with the leading CSOs advocating for PWD access and developed a set of recommendations for the PWD inclusion at the legal/institutional, polling center and polling station levels. It also developed a draft PWD strategy. This has not yet been finalized or shared with the MOIM or others. LEAP intends to support a conference to present and discuss the strategy with relevant stakeholders, including the CSOs and Ministry of Social Affairs, under MOIM auspices once the election date is called Output 1.8: Support to lessons learned on election management The objective for Output 1.8 was to strengthen the capacity within the electoral management structures to review its role in the sustainable and effective management of elections. LEAP expected to accomplish this through assisting the EMBs to undertake a comprehensive review of election management for the 2013 elections, including the impact of electoral reforms on that role, and to identify areas where improvements were made or still needed. This was to include the role of international technical assistance. The intended 16

23 budget for Output 1.8 was USD 30,000, in the ProDoc. This was reduced to USD 12,001 in the workplan budget re-allocations. Of this nothing had yet been spent. Even though the elections have not yet been held, the evaluation found that MOIM capacity to review its role and how it administers the elections and voter registration was strengthened by the project. The interactions of the CTA and project staff with the MOIM officials on different elements of the process and the pilot efforts undertaken for candidate registration showed the advantages of strategic operational planning and more efficient procedures. "#$%&'()&*$+,+-&./012%&#33+-#%4+56&7+$&8/%9/%&':;& In particular, the exposure of MOIM officials to EMBs and election administration outside of Lebanon through study tours appears to have been extremely useful to increase their awareness and understanding on how others manage their electoral processes and how the processes and procedures within Lebanon compare with those other examples. In particular, this was evident for issues related to voter information, the use of official ballots, and the operations of an independent electoral commission Output 1.9: Support to accreditation of election observers and journalists This output was initially placed under Component 2 as Output 2.4. It was moved to Component 1 in the workplan of August 2013, and may yet return to Component 2 depending on whether a SCEC is established and given the mandate for observer accreditation. The objective for this output was to support initiatives by the SCEC and/or the MOIM to establish a framework for election observation and media coverage of polling. LEAP intended to do this by reviewing the regulatory and procedural framework for accrediting observers, journalists and candidate agents, including lessons learned from 2009 when similar assistance was provided through international support. As in 2009, LEAP proposed establishing an Observer Coordinator Unit that would process accreditation on behalf of the MOIM and also support the development of a draft regulatory framework including a Code of Conduct for Observers and Media, and observer manual and production of accreditation documents. The budget for this output was USD 83,000 of which 45 percent was for personnel costs, and most of the remainder for equipment and production of materials (Chart 13). The total was unchanged in the workplan. Of this nothing has yet been used. "#$%&'()&*$+,+-&./012%&#33+-#%4+56&7+$&8/%9/%&':;& LEAP developed an accreditation plan and standard operational procedures that it expects to implement in the MOIM or SCEC with the help of the UNVs assigned to the project. The preparations for this unit were commenced ahead of the call for elections and LEAP would have been ready to issue accreditation had the elections gone ahead. The project consulted with CSOs to see what they felt was needed and classified six different type of accreditation (national observer, international observer, national media, international media, special visitor and interpreter). They have designed the badges, developed the software to map observers by type and location (district), and completed the methodology and manuals that can be used for the next elections. In response to the absence of a formal structure for observer accreditation, the project has proposed to the MOIM that a formal unit with responsibilities for liaison with civil society be established that would include the facilitation of observer accreditation. The project expects to leave the software, badges and records for the MOIM for its use in future elections. 17

24 3.11. Project design and implementation Design The LEAP project was designed as an elections project, focused on supporting more credible and transparent parliamentary elections in Its event based nature is reflected in the project purpose (support for 2013 parliamentary elections), activities (election preparations and information) and timeframe (one year). However, within the context an electoral cycle approach would have been more appropriate. The process and frameworks for elections within Lebanon are still evolving and the preparations for the election events are just one part of that much larger process. With the delay in the holding of the parliamentary elections, the project has gained an extra year of time which has enabled it to focus more on the processes. Using that process-based approach is essential if the project is to fill a developmental role and deliver more sustainable results beyond facilitating the holding of the event. The LEAP design was based on the NAM recommendations, but also incorporated the experiences of the CTA. He brought his experiences from the 2009 elections as the IFES Chief of Party. This experience strengthened the project design and its relevance. In addition, the design addressed some of the key issues found in the case study of UNDP s assistance to electoral processes in Lebanon since 2005 that was undertaken by the UNDP Evaluation Office. UNDP moved from a role of supplying embedded consultants who filled MOIM staffing gaps to a more technical assistance/capacity building approach, and from a NIM implementation mechanism, which limited UNDP s ability to provide assistance beyond the implementing ministry, to a DIM implementation. This gave the project flexibility to support other government and stakeholder entities, especially the SCEC which seems to be widely perceived as the nucleus for a future independent electoral commission. At the same time some recommendations from the 2010 SEPIL project evaluation were not implemented, and this LEAP evaluation found the same issues and made similar recommendations. These are detailed in Annex 3 but include the need for more synergies between UNDP democratic governance projects and focus on electoral reform. The project also undertook no in depth needs assessments to inform the design of activities and to ensure appropriate and effective targeting and content. For example, some aspects of electoral administration, especially at local levels, were not well understood until the elections were postponed and the project undertook a mapping exercise. The value added of UNDP for some activities is also uncertain, in particular for activities that are outsourced and the primary constraint appears to be a MOIM funding issue. The design could have also addressed issues of budgeting for the electoral process and helping the EMBs to ensure they have realistic and well-justified budgets and staffing that cover the essentials. There were no linkages made in the project design for the coordination of LEAP with other projects or with civil society efforts to promote reforms. A CSO representative was invited to sit as an observer at project board meetings, and the voter education component included a coordination meeting on voter education. But there were no programmatic links made beyond information sharing for those meetings in the design. There was also no mention of other relevant UNDP projects and the potential synergies that could be made among them. Implementation There was a general level of satisfaction for project implementation expressed by government counterparts, donors, the project team and UNDP. They appeared to have no major issues regarding project performance, management and reporting. Since it is widely perceived as an event project, the fact that the elections date was not set was seen as the main issue for the project along with its level of staffing. In addition to some of the points made in the evaluation s discussions of Component 1 activities, the team noted several other issues related to implementation. These included: UNDP commitment to the project. UNDP Lebanon advanced more than USD 500,000 for this project as the initial donor (USAID) provided its grant on a reimbursement basis. This enabled a quick start up even though the donor funding had not yet been received. UNDP Lebanon also requested and received authorization to fast track procurement and recruitment for this project. This is needed for UNDP 18

25 bureaucratic processes to be able to meet the tight timelines of an electoral assistance project. Nevertheless, some still thought recruitment was slow, with some staff coming on board in January and February 2013 which was only four months before the anticipated elections date. Use of a basket fund, but with funding also provided outside the common fund. Both USAID and the EU provided their funds outside the context of a basket fund as they wanted their funds to go for specific activities. This tripled the work of the LEAP finance/administrative team as they did three sets of reporting (USAID, EU and basket fund). A way should be found that allows donors to earmark funds put into a basket fund so that donors are still assured that their funding is used for specific activities, but which reduces the administrative burden on the project. Branding for the project is good from a donor s perspective as it clearly shows the participation of all donors plus UNDP. Cohesive nature of the LEAP team and the level of technical expertise which the project was able to build over the past year. With the extra time, project staff seems to work jointly on many activities even if it is outside their TOR. This gave the time and opportunity to build the electoral skills for the staff, some of which were new to elections. At the same time, a few staff looked for more direction and structured work, and the setting of specific monthly benchmarks that they would be expected to achieve and have their performance graded against. LEAP use as a think tank and resource. LEAP has spent a large portion of its time thinking through the electoral processes, reform options and their implications on the electoral and political systems and timelines. It has produced a large amount of polished briefing materials that explain highly complex processes. These are valuable resources for users, and appear to have contributed to a more sophisticated level of dialogue by some CSOs. However, the distribution of these materials seems to be limited primarily to participants of the coordination meeting, and to the MOIM which receives materials on an as requested basis. These resources, especially the timelines and other technical information, should be more systematically shared with the broader community of stakeholders and more of these posted for easy access by those interested in the electoral process in Lebanon. Lack of links with other UNDP democratic governance (DG) projects. There are natural synergies between an electoral assistance project with other DG projects, such as support to Parliament or ministries. This element was missing in the project design and was not added during implementation. LEAP has more synergies with other UNDP programmes outside of Lebanon than it appears to have with the programmes in Lebanon. 18 In addition, there is no UNDP country plan or strategy for UNDP assistance to the electoral process beyond the LEAP project that could envision how its broader democratic governance portfolio and resources could be used to support these important national processes and the broader enabling environment in which they are held. Coordination with CSOs is limited to information sharing and does not extend to programming or building synergies between the activities of CSOs and LEAP, especially on issues of electoral reform which CSOs are promoting. In addition, the new EU grant to CSOs provides funding in several LEAP areas including electoral reform, women s participation, and PWD access. Programmatic synergies could be developed in each of these areas. Need for performance based indicators to track project progress and results. The project is using output based indicators. This gives the number of persons trained or processes improved as a result of project activities, but this does not provide enough information to determine if the project s work was effective and made an impact on strengthening the capacity of stakeholders for the conduct of transparent and inclusive elections in Lebanon or strengthening inclusive participation. Some performance based indicators should be adopted for each of the main components that can track project progress and demonstrate if the project outputs are making a substantive difference. 18 Such as with UNDP Jordan and the UNDP Regional Office in Cairo. 19

26 4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1. Conclusions LEAP assistance helped the MOIM to plan and prepare for the elections so that it would have been ready had elections been called for June LEAP has done its preparations and planning and if the date is set and law adopted, LEAP and the MOIM could move forward quickly with more efficient and standardized procedures. Even though the MOIM and the project design both have an event focus, the LEAP CTA is using an electoral process perspective to deliver project assistance where possible. This is essential if the project activities are to result in the development of more efficient and sustainable operations and systems within election administration. MOIM has ownership over the project products that it has adopted and sees LEAP as a valuable resource that helps fill gaps, provides technical assistance, supports efforts to build capacities and increases its awareness of how other EMBs work. The uncertainties over the elections date and the highly politicized context made it difficult for LEAP to work but also increased the value of LEAP. LEAP provides a stable, continuing resource of technical expertise, funding, and an ability to fill critical gaps or needs as they arise for the MOIM or other stakeholders. It also demonstrates the continuing commitment of the international community to support the democratic electoral processes in Lebanon. This is especially important for the reform process and for institutions with EMB responsibilities, such as the MOIM, that have limited election-specific staff and budget before an elections date is set. The UNDP was the right institution for a project such as LEAP. It has a long standing development relationship with government institutions in Lebanon, extensive global experience in elections support, and the credibility and impartiality of the United Nations. This provides access to the MOIM and other government institutions which is essential for an electoral support project to be relevant and effective. However, UNDP as an institution could be further engaged in this process beyond LEAP and its institutional role in electoral assistance beyond technical assistance is not widely understood and is under-utilized. LEAP has good leadership and a good team that has the respect of stakeholders. The CTA was known from his previous electoral work in Lebanon and his engagement in this project appears to have been an important factor for donors to have put their funding through UNDP for these elections instead of in bilateral projects as they did in previous elections. This was a good precedent and helped avoid duplication of efforts and ensured consistency in technical advice which is essential in a highly politicized context. The DIM nature of the project was appropriate in the context. It still gives priority to the MOIM but gives LEAP the ability to support the wider scope of actors and stakeholders in the electoral process. However, LEAP has yet to reach out to this broader group, such as other ministries, parliament and political parties. The large number of LEAP staff is appropriate for an event-focused, gap filling approach, but needs rethinking and reconfiguration for a longer-term electoral cycle project that should be focused on electoral reform and institutional capacity building. At the same time, having this project continuing its planning in this interim period has helped to keep a focus on electoral issues and standards which is important when the electoral process has been put on the back burner by political and other events. Sustainability of project results a key issue for LEAP. The event focus of MOIM and the project design limit the ability of the project to provide sustainable results beyond leaving improved electoral products and some commodities for their potential use in the next elections. For LEAP this is expected to include the prototype for an official ballot and improved results system and operational manuals that the MOIM can use in future elections. But its main counterpart, the MOIM, has a limited permanent staff dealing with elections and an uncertain electoral budget. The creation of a SCEC is also uncertain. These issues need to be addressed for a project of this nature to be able to build the institutional capacity of an EMB to deliver the elections themselves, without assistance, whether it is an expanded MOIM department (which the MOIM has requested) or the creation of an independent commission. Technical efforts also need more synergies with policy efforts as technical support can only do so much without political solutions to issues such as the type of electoral system that the country will adopt and the dates for elections. This also includes the need for more programmatic synergies with the efforts of CSOs to strengthen the electoral processes and standards. 20

27 4.2. Recommendations Continued support to LEAP for the electoral process in Lebanon. The project itself was designed to support the parliamentary elections which are still to be held. But more importantly, the electoral processes in Lebanon are in transition, and LEAP is best positioned to support this process. It has the access, trust and expertise needed to deliver electoral assistance within this context. LEAP assistance should extend to include by- and municipal elections which will provide opportunities to test procedural and other reforms, such as a pre-printed ballot or changes to the count system. It also provides the opportunities to build the capacity of local institutions involved in the electoral process and strengthen the process from the grass roots level as well as from the top through the MOIM. Consideration should also be given to making LEAP a three to five year process-driven project, with funding and staffing levels that are commensurate with the activities expected in each part of the electoral cycle. UNDP and LEAP should take a more active role in supporting the discussion on the electoral process issues which are preventing a consensus on the electoral law content and promote international standards for the solutions adopted. This does not mean that LEAP takes a position on volatile issues such as the type of electoral system Lebanon should adopt. But it has valuable technical resources and materials that could be used by parliamentary committees and policy makers to help inform their decisions on those issues and others. UNDP in other countries has facilitated national dialogue, reform efforts and consensus building. LEAP and other UNDP democratic governance projects could support UNSCOL and international community efforts in this regard. UNDP Lebanon should develop a strategy for the mobilization of its resources in addition to LEAP to support electoral reform and the building of a more credible, transparent and accountable electoral process in Lebanon. 19 In the immediate term, LEAP should develop synergies with its support to Parliament project which could provide technical support for the committee deliberations on the electoral law. It should also coordinate more closely with CSOs on a programmatic basis, as for some, CSOs were seen as the entities that should lead the electoral reform efforts. The LEAP project itself should also increase its advocacy efforts on important issues, such as international standards, during technical discussions, ensuring adequate staffing and budgeting for electoral management, the early creation of the SCEC, and an independent electoral administration- whether formally independent or a branch of the executive. The project should move as soon as it can from a gap-filling role to one of capacity building and institutional development. LEAP and UNDP should avoid the practice of placing long term consultants in the MOIM and gap filling for foreseeable needs. This is not sustainable. Instead it should advocate for the MOIM plan to increase its permanent staff for EMB management and help build their capacity to undertake this work. The role of technical assistance should be to transfer knowledge and skills to counterparts rather than to do the work themselves. The project should continue as a DIM as this gives it the flexibility needed to support other institutions and systems involved in the process. It should also add performance based indicators to its monitoring and evaluation plan that can help measure progress towards its intended outcomes. 19 UNDP Kenya can provide a good model for coordinated action for electoral support for UNDP projects within a country. Also the example of UNDP Bangladesh in the parliamentary elections of UNDP s Bureau for Development Policy and its Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery can also serve as good resources and help LEAP incorporate a conflict-prevention and mitigation outlook into its electoral assistance programming. 21

28 Annex 1: LEAP components and funding Chart provided by LEAP 22