Study Tour to South Africa - National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE)

Johannesburg, South Africa

17 - 21 November 2008

EISA is coordinating the South African study tour for NEBE and will deliver a short introductory course for the newly elected board members. The study tour is part of a broader capacity building program known as the Democratic Institutions Programme (DIP) to support the Government of Ethiopia's Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP), set up by the UNDP and other bilateral donors.

Purpose/ Expected results

• Familiarise the NEBE with the electoral cycle approach, as it yields longer term results and provides a better opportunity to address key issues such as capacity development, institutional strengthening, the participation of women and other disadvantaged groups and the use of appropriate technology in electoral processes.
• Equip NEBE board members with basic skills to think about elections as an ongoing or cyclical activity and integrate electoral assistance with other broader democratic governance issues.
• Gain insight into the functions of the South African electoral system, the South African Parliament and Independent Election Commission of South Africa.
• Share experience with South African electoral officials and parliamentarians and
• Draw on lessons learnt from the South African experience to formulate projects in order to plan and administer democratic elections in Ethiopia.