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Thank you for your interest in NDI's publications and work. We hope that the World Movement for Democracy's Sixth Assembly has been a valuable experience.
Please find below the publications we highlighted at the World Movement, organized by the following topics:
You can find other resources published by NDI and democracy activists that might interest you in our publications section.
If you have any questions or would like to receive any additional information, please use our contact form.
Elections
- Promoting Legal Frameworks for Democratic Elections: An NDI Guide for Developing Election Laws and Law Commentaries by Patrick Merloe (2008)
This guide addresses the importance of developing legal frameworks that promote democratic elections. It explores why it is important for political parties, civic organizations and others to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of existing and proposed laws affecting election processes. The guide also addresses the importance of developing an open and inclusive political process to address those laws, presents the main issues to examine when evaluating the legal framework and over 200 questions to consider, as well as sources of international law on the subject and a list of NDI election law commentaries. (English)
- How Domestic Organizations Monitor Elections: An A to Z Guide (1995)
This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of how to organize a nonpartisan domestic election monitoring effort. It covers: planning and organizational issues; recruiting, training and logistical issues in building a communications network for reporting; various subjects to monitor in the pre-election, election day and post-election periods; and considerations for how the organization and skills developed through monitoring efforts can be applied to non-election activities. The guide is designed for election monitoring by civic organizations but can be used by political parties in designing their efforts to ensure electoral integrity and protect their vote. (English, Arabic, Bahasa, French, Spanish)
- Building Confidence in the Voter Registration Process: An NDI Monitoring Guide for Political Parties and Civic Organizations by Richard L. Klein and Patrick Merloe (2001)
This voter registration monitoring guide addresses: the role of voter registration and the principal types of voter registration systems; why it is important for political parties and civic organizations to monitor these systems; and specific techniques for monitoring processes for collecting names, creating a voter registry and polling station voter lists, correcting errors in the lists and use of the lists on election day. (English, Arabic)
- Media Monitoring to Promote Democratic Elections: An NDI Handbook for Citizen Organizations by Patrick Merloe and Robert Norris (2002)
This handbook takes a step-by-step approach to media monitoring. It covers: the importance of determining who controls the media and the difference between state-controlled versus private and broadcast versus print media; issues to address in deciding what media and what subjects to monitor; planning and organization of a media monitoring project; monitoring methodology, including specific instructions for monitoring different types of media; and considerations for the presentation of findings and recommendations. (English, Arabic)
- The Quick Count and Election Observation: An NDI Handbook for Civic Organizations and Political Parties by Glenn Cowan, Melissa Estok and Neil Nevitte (2002)
This handbook addresses the importance of developing systematic observation of vital election day processes, including the quality of voting, ballot counting and tabulation of election results, as well as the projection of electoral results with extremely narrow margins of error and high degrees of statistical confidence. It covers planning and organizational issues; recruiting and training; communications systems; developing a random statistical sample of polling stations for rapid and exacting analysis; analytical techniques; the considerations for the release of quick count findings. The handbook is designed for civic organizations but can easily be used by political parties. It also is designed for use by civic organizations that decide not to undertake projection of electoral results. As an organizer's guide, it reviews many of the issues covered by NDI's 1995 "A to Z" handbook. (English, Arabic, Spanish)
- Monitoring Electronic Technologies in Electoral Processes: An NDI Guide for Political Parties and Civic Organizations by Patrick Merloe and Vladimir Pran (2007)
This guide aims to increase the understanding of civic and political activists regarding: what transparency measures to demand in establishing safeguards concerning electronic electoral technologies; and what skills their organizations will need to develop to verify the integrity of electronic electoral technologies. Specifically, it covers the types of technologies employed, the potential challenges for electoral integrity brought by such technologies, issues to consider in deciding whether to introduce electronic technologies and transparency that should be employed when electronic technologies are used. (English, Arabic)
Read more about elections programming at NDI»
Good Governance
- Constituent Relations Manual: a Guide to Best Practices by Scott Andersen and Alison Paul DeSchryver (2008)
NDI has created a guide for elected representatives seeking to effectively organize and carry out constituent relations. The guide offers practical approaches and advice gained from the working experiences of legislators around the world. (English, Arabic, Bahasa)
- EITI Guide for Legislators: How to Support and Strengthen Resource Transparency by Alison Paul DeSchryver and John Johnson (2009)
Legislatures have a critical role to play in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). This guide provides legislators with information about the EITI process and offers practical suggestions for them to encourage the government to participate and ensure that the EITI program is successful. It is designed primarily for legislators and their staff, but political leaders, government officials, civil society organizations and international actors may also find it helpful. (English, Arabic, Bahasa, French)
- Toward the Development of International Standards for Democratic Legislatures: A Discussion Document for Review by Interested Legislatures, Donors and International Organizations Barry Driscoll and K. Scott Hubli (2007)
This document is intended as a basis for discussion within the international community regarding standards for the functioning of democratic legislatures. Just as there is no single, international body that certifies the democratic nature of a given electoral process, there can be no one arbiter of whether a legislature functions properly. It is hoped, however, that, through the discussion of standards, an international consensus on the functioning of democratic legislatures will emerge, thereby helping legislatures become more open, independent, accountable and responsive. (English, Arabic)
Read more about governance programming at NDI»
Political Parties
- Selecting Candidates for Legislative Office by Sefakor Ashiagbor (2008)
This paper outlines various issues that political parties may want to consider in devising selection rules. It also includes case studies of candidate selection processes in 10 political parties spanning the globe and political spectrum.(English, Arabic, Spanish)
- Political Finance Policy, Parties and Democratic Development by Dr. Michael Johnston (2005)
This report offers an analysis of political finance policy, with a primary focus on societies where democracy is either relatively new or emerging from crisis. (English)
- Adopting Party Law by Dr. Kenneth Janda (2005)
This document outlines a number of questions to consider in devising party law. Dr. Janda also created a database of party laws. (English, Spanish)
- Implementing Intra-Party Democracy by Dr. Susan Scarrow (2005)
This report discusses the advantages and risks of intra-party democracy, examining some of the questions parties may face in implementing more inclusive decision-making procedures. (English)
- Developments in Party Communications by Dr. Pippa Norris (2005)
This publication focuses on the communication channels parties can use to strengthen their linkages with citizens, and relates these developments to the communication policies governments can adopt to improve free and fair party competition. (English)
- Minimum Standards for the Democratic Functioning of Political Parties by Sefakor Ashiagbor and Dr. Susan Scarrow (2008)
This document outlines basic behavioral norms that characterize democratic parties and identifies organizational issues that parties may want to address in their statutes. It addresses such issues as respect for human rights and legitimate elections as the basis of government as well as the need for clear rules for candidate/leadership selection and accountability in party finance. The document was finalized in February 2008 at a roundtable in Brussels, Belgium, that featured senior officials of Centrist Democrat International, Liberal International and Socialist International and was presented at the April 2008 World Movement for Democracy. (English, Arabic, French, Spanish)
Read more about political party programming at NDI»
Women's Participation
- Assessing Women's Political Party Programs: Best Practices and Recommendations by Kristin Haffert, Alyson Kozma and Susanna McCollum (2008)
NDI embarked on this assessment in an effort to better understand effective approaches to women's political party programs across a number of regions and to measure the impact of such programs. The assessment is designed to identify the specific elements and approaches which were most effective in encouraging women's participation and leadership in political parties. Although drawn from NDI programs, the information gathered in this assessment is intended to be used by both individuals and organizations as a road map to help facilitate women's political leadership worldwide. (English)
- Changing the Face of Leadership: Women in Politics (2007)
This brochure demonstrates NDI's approach to involving women in politics. In its programs and activities, NDI seeks out women as full partners and participants. NDI programs around the world engage women in legislatures, political parties and civil society as leaders, activists and informed citizens. (English)
- Nominating for Change: Strengthening Women's Position in Political Parties (2003)
This manual was prepared as a Training of Trainers tool for workshops that help increase women's skills to get themselves nominated by their political parties. As such, some sessions focus on the Training of Trainers aspect exclusively, others focus on the content areas related to increasing nomination chances. (English, Arabic, Bahasa)
Read more about women's programming at NDI»
Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Presentations from the World Movement for Democracy in Jakarta in April 2010
- Technology Innovations toward Accountable Governance and Women’s Participation
Tristanti Mitayani’s presentation of iKNOW Politics, an innovative online website that provides a vast library of resources and tools that connect women across the globe to share experiences and tools in political participation.
- How to Crowdsource Election Monitoring in 30 Days
Oscar Salazar of ¡Cuidemos el Voto!, presented his innovative approach to engage citizens in their election process during the 2007 Mexico elections through citizen reporting using the Ushahidi crowdsourcing tool, including the strengths, challenges and lessons taken from this approach.
- Sunlight Foundation Presenation on Open Data
Clay Johnson of the Sunlight Foundation shared his experiences using technology to increase access transparency and accountability of the US government with a focus on “open data” and the applicability of some of the innovative technologies and approaches to other democratic countries.
- SMS as a Tool in Election Observation by Ian Schuler (2008)
This article, which was published in Innovations magazine, outlines the development of SMS as a tool in domestic election monitoring. (English)
- Monitoring Electronic Technologies in Electoral Processes by Patrick Merloe and Vladimir Pran (2007)
This guide aims to increase the understanding of civic and political activists regarding: what transparency measures to demand in establishing safeguards concerning electronic electoral technologies; and what skills their organizations will need to develop to verify the integrity of electronic electoral technologies. (English, Arabic)
- Afghanistan Election Data (2009)
This tool, developed by NDI and Development Seed, is an innovative online mapping tool for analyzing election results data from Afghanistan’s Aug. 20, 2009 presidential election using demographic, ethnographic, topographic and security information. The tool also identifies areas that had significant electoral irregularities. The aim of the site is to make the election data more accessible and transparent so that those involved in the Afghan political process, including government officials, political parties and domestic monitoring groups, as well as those in the international community can use the information to improve future elections. (English)
Other ICT Resources
Read more about ICT programming at NDI»
Other Web Resources
- iKNOW Politics
An online workspace designed to serve the needs of elected officials, candidates, political party leaders and members, researchers, students and other practitioners interested in advancing women in politics.(English, Arabic, French, Spanish)
- Aswat
Aswat ("voices' in Arabic) strives to be an uncensored online space for activists and reformers from throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Iran to make governments more responsive to citizens, transparent in operation and effective in delivering results that matter in people's everyday lives. (English, Arabic)
- Red de Partidos Políticos
Members of this network are mostly political activists in Latin America and the Caribbean. Membership is free and open to everyone regardless of political affiliation or nationality. Because change does not occur through individuals working alone, the network aims to exchange ideas and experiences with blogs, events, news, case studies and resources on party reform and renewal. (English, Spanish)
