CALL FOR TRAINERS FOR THE CSOs IN THE FIELD OF ELECTION OBSERVATION
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) is seeking trainers to co-develop and conduct a trainings for CSOs engaged in domestic election observation in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood and some EU Member States. The training topics will be as following: 1) Political finance monitoring for CSOs in the field of election observation; 2) Disinformation monitoring for CSOs in the field of election observation; 3) Strategic communication for CSOs in the field of election observation.
The training will last for four full days and will be held in the second half of October this year.
Background
ISFED (www.isfed.ge) is an independent non-profit organization with one of the broadest regional citizen election observation networks in Georgia. Since its foundation in 1995, it has made an important contribution to the improvement of the Election Code as well as the electoral and political environment in the country.
ISFED is a member of various networks of independent citizen election observers, including the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) and Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM). As part of these networks, ISFED seeks to promote peer-to-peer learning and exchange between citizen election observers and to contribute to democratic election processes throughout Europe.
1. TRAINER ON POLITICAL FINANCE MONITORING FOR CSOs IN THE FIELD OF ELECTION OBSERVATION
Scope of work
ISFED aims to recruit an international expert to deliver a training in a team of trainers on monitoring of political party and campaign finances for CSOs engaged in domestic election observation in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood and some select EU Member States.
Money in politics has always been a focus of domestic election observation. However, as elections are being increasingly conducted in the online sphere, money flows have become more opaque. This training should provide methods and tools for monitoring various aspects of political finances, looking at this issue from a holistic approach considering the entire election cycle. A special focus should be placed on monitoring election campaign spending online. The training should provide methods for participants to transmit the learnt knowledge from this training to others within their organization (ToT).
Topics to be addressed in the training include, among others, the following:
- Tools and methods for monitoring political parties’ and election candidates’ finances, with focus on their income/revenues and expenditures;
- Monitoring of political finances at the central as well as local and regional levels;
- Monitoring of use of state resources during election campaigns;
- The role of election observation missions in the electoral appeal processes related to political finances;
- Third party finance monitoring;
- Tools and methods for monitoring online advertising/campaign spending;
- How to develop synergies with investigative journalists and corruption watchdogs;
- Data visualization and communication – how and what data should be presented;
- Strategies for cooperation with relevant oversight bodies for political finances and legislators.
Target group of training:
- Political and finance analysts of domestic election observation organizations
The training will be 4 full working days. Training sessions may be simultaneously interpreted depending on participants’ language skills. The trainer must be available prior to the training for consultations and joint conceptualization of the training together with other trainers. The organizers will cover all the travel and accommodation costs.
Applications
Ideal applicants will have a track record of designing and conducting trainings incl. ToT methods, relevant experience in the field of political party and campaign finances, understanding of political processes in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood, be fluent in English and/or Russian language. A good understanding of domestic election monitoring and the relevant actors will be an asset.
Interested applicants should submit the following documentation via email to the following email address info@isfed.ge in ONE combined PDF using the subject line “Political finances trainer” by 27th of September 09:00 CEST.
- CV of the expert(s);
- Brief outline of the proposed training module and methodology;
- Expected net honorarium;
- Overview of previous experience of conducting similar trainings;
- Language skills
Selection will be based on the best thematic offer, methodology, and the cost-performance ratio.
ISFED is an equal opportunity employer regardless of applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or disability status.
2. TRAINER ON DISINFORMATION MONITORING FOR CSOs IN THE FIELD OF ELECTION OBSERVATION
Scope of work
ISFED aims to recruit an international expert to deliver a training in a team of trainers on disinformation monitoring for CSOs engaged in domestic election observation in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood and some select EU Member States.
This training shall build upon a previously developed 2019 handbook on social media monitoring. Focus of this training should be on how to monitor disinformation during election process in both traditional and social media. Particular focus should be placed on innovative tools to monitor this phenomenon in the online sphere as elections are increasingly conducted online. The goal of the training is to strengthen the skills of domestic observers in monitoring this as well as provide methods for participants to transmit the learnt knowledge from this training to others within their organization (ToT).
Topics to be addressed in the training include, among others, the following:
- How to develop a disinformation monitoring strategy;
- Readily available tools and methods for content monitoring, data analysis, and tracking of sources of disinformation;
- Legislative procedures to access information and identify liability;
- Methods for cooperating with traditional media and social media platforms as well as relevant authorities and other stakeholders;
- Monitoring of influence of disinformation on voters and election campaigns, including surveying methods of voting behavior;
- Effective reporting and communication on disinformation monitoring findings, including awareness campaigns.
Target group of training:
- Long-term observer coordinators of domestic election observation organizations; social media monitors; media analysts; data analysts
The training will be 4 full working days. Training sessions may be simultaneously interpreted depending on participants’ language skills. The trainer must be available prior to the training for consultations and joint conceptualization of the training together with other trainers. The organizers will cover all the travel and accommodation costs.
Applications
Ideal applicants will have a track record of designing and conducting trainings incl. ToT methods, relevant experience in the field of disinformation monitoring, understanding of political processes in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood, be fluent in English and/or Russian language. A good understanding of domestic election monitoring and the relevant actors will be an asset.
Interested applicants should submit the following documentation via email to the following email address: info@isfed.ge in ONE combined PDF using the subject line “Disinformation Trainer” by 27th of September 09:00 CEST.
- CV of the expert(s);
- Brief outline of the proposed training module and methodology;
- Expected net honorarium;
- Overview of previous experience of conducting similar trainings;
- Language skills
Selection will be based on the best thematic offer, methodology, and the cost-performance ratio.
ISFED is an equal opportunity employer regardless of applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or disability status.
3. TRAINER ON STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION FOR CSOs IN THE FIELD OF ELECTION OBSERVATION
Scope of work
ISFED aims to recruit an international expert to deliver a training in a team of trainers on strategic communication for CSOs engaged in domestic election observation in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood and some select EU Member States.
The training should not only focus on the strategic communication of observers during an ongoing election campaign, but look at the entire electoral cycle. It should also take into account how various stakeholders should be addressed, including election authorities and decision makers, the public, the media, international institutions and partners, etc. Goal of the training is to enhance the skills of domestic election observation organizations in informing relevant actors about their findings and lobbying for the implementation of their recommendations for electoral reforms. Innovative tools in the way of online communication should be included in the training. The training should provide methods for participants to transmit the learnt knowledge from this training to others within their organization (ToT).
Topics to be addressed in the training include, among others, the following:
- How to develop a communication strategy for your organization;
- Reporting and messaging on observation methodology, findings, and recommendations;
- Countering discreditation attempts and enhancing self-promotion;
- Means to ensure secure internal communication within an organization, especially for organizations facing pressure from authorities;
- Communication and cooperation with other stakeholders and multiplicators;
- Advocacy strategies for follow-up on recommendations for electoral reform;
- New innovative tools for communication and advocacy.
Target group of training:
- Communication and advocacy managers of CSOs; election mission spokespersons and coordinators; heads of CSOs
The training will be 4 full working days. Training sessions may be simultaneously interpreted depending on participants’ language skills. The trainer must be available prior to the training for consultations and joint conceptualization of the training together with other trainers. The organizers will cover all the travel and accommodation costs.
Applications
Ideal applicants will have a track record of designing and conducting trainings incl. ToT methods, relevant experience in the field of strategic communication in an international context and ideally concerning elections, understanding of political processes in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood, be fluent in English and/or Russian language. A good understanding of domestic election monitoring and the relevant actors will be an asset.
Interested applicants should submit the following documentation via email to the following email address: info@isfed.ge in ONE combined PDF using the subject line “Strategic Communication Trainer” by 27th of September 09:00 CEST.
- CV of the expert(s);
- Brief outline of the proposed training module and methodology;
- Expected net honorarium;
- Overview of previous experience of conducting similar trainings;
- Language skills
Selection will be based on the best thematic offer, methodology, and the cost-performance ratio.
ISFED is an equal opportunity employer regardless of applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or disability status.