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Strategies
Unique Relationships
NDI is optimally positioned to succeed with technology-and-democracy related programs not only because it can bridge the gap in developing IT systems with its partners, but also because of its existing field offices, relationships and contacts in dozens of countries.
An effective ICT project requires a strong relationship with a partner, with crucial support and buy-in from the partner’s senior leadership and an excellent understanding by NDI of the partner’s business processes and objectives. NDI has program staff around the world that have established these relationships, and who are involved in various forms of institutional support. Such relationships build awareness of core needs within a partner organization, positioning NDI as uniquely qualified to provide the assistance an organization needs.
NDI’s network of program staff members gives the institute a unique ability to assess its partners’ proposed technology systems, and to assist in developing estimates of initial and ongoing budgets for building such systems. NDI can then support proposed projects by sharing the skills needed to implement sustainable ICT programs.
Sustainability through Organizational Capacity Building
While in many aspects of NDI programming, value comes through sharing knowledge and experience among democratic leaders or documenting and sharing democracy-building experience, building sustainable ICT systems requires a slightly different strategy.
Technology programming typically involves building systems (websites, databases, communication networks, etc.) and thus requires organizational changes within our partner institutions in order to maintain these systems. These changes drive planning, assessment, implementation and program evaluation.
Sustainability means that development of an Internet or other IT system must happen in parallel with a process of building capacity within the partner organization to support and maintain the system. The partner must form the necessary relationships within its country to meet its ongoing needs for equipment, support and services. This approach may result in a higher initial investment, and requires a longer-term engagement (several months to several years) with the partner organization as it aligns its staffing and budgeting to meet the long-term commitment of supporting the systems. Over that longer term, however, this approach has proven effective at allowing NDI and its donors' funds to continue to bring value to its partners, and to support democratic development long after the Institute’s initial program has terminated.
Areas of Expertise
To strengthen the broadest range of democracy and governance programs, NDI strives to pioneer new applications of technology through inventive and inclusive techniques and apply them to the unique challenges within developing democracies. Program areas in emerging democratic countries with significant ICT components include: governance, elections and political processes, political parties, women’s empowerment and citizen participation.
Democratic Governance
NDI's governance work tends to emphasize the political dimension of democratic governance within four main practice areas: constitutional reform, legislative development, local government, and public integrity. NDI has assisted partners in developing legislative tracking systems and building websites for parliaments in countries throughout the world, including sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. This support has included assistance for parliaments and executive branch offices in technology planning and training, development of technical support units, provision of computers and networking resources to institutions, and building of voting and translation systems. In September 2005 NDI conducted its largest legislative technology program to date, providing substantial technology assistance to the Iraqi National Assembly to help it improve management of legislative information.
Macedonia Casework Tracking Database
NDI's work with the National Assembly and political parties in Macedonia on a constituency outreach program resulted in the establishment of 45 new constituency offices in 2004. The success of this program led to difficulties in managing the offices’ case loads, and made it evident that the offices needed to replace paper filing methods for tracking constituent casework with electronic tools.
In response, NDI assisted the Macedonian political parties in developing a casework tracking database in 2005, and deploying it to the 45 constituency offices. The database facilitates reporting and record keeping, and allows office assistants to enter cases they received over the phone, by letter, or by email. The database is trilingual; its operators can switch between Macedonian, Albanian and English.
Elections and Political Processes
The most prominent of NDI’s recent technology innovations have been in the elections area, where NDI has pioneered sophisticated uses of cell phones for domestic election observation. Combining an SMS (text message) based reporting system with NDI's rigorous observation methodology, NDI partners can enhance the integrity of elections by alerting authorities to problems early enough to allow remedies. The speed of SMS-based reporting also allows the Institute’s partners to publicize an assessment of the quality of polling and tabulation, exposing problematic elections and increasing public confidence in credible elections. Further technology programs in this field include building of databases and tracking software for international observation missions, and designing of data analysis software for domestic groups who monitor election irregularities and conduct parallel vote counts.
- Read SMS as a Tool in Election Observation, an article written for Innovations magazine by NDI's Ian Schuler»
In Sierra Leone's most recent national election and runoff, in 2007, 500 election observers at polling stations around the country sent text messages through mobile phones to report on polling irregularities. Led by the National Election Watch (NEW), a coalition of over 200 domestic and international NGOs in the country, monitors used this rapid reporting system to help stabilize the political environment and support the peaceful transfer of power after a long civil war.
Political Party Development
NDI assists political parties around the world to improve various aspects of their work through employing technology. NDI has worked with global experts in online campaigning and advocacy to help political parties throughout the world take advantage of advances in online campaigning and member tracking. Online campaigning support often consists of assistance in the development of party websites -- including functions such as online polling and member registration and subscription lists -- as well as assistance with organizing, administrative functions and financial management. Party member tracking databases and internal communication strategies help parties to improve communication, organize activities and be more internally democratic.
