1€¦ · Web viewConsider processes used at previous electoral events, and feed lessons learned...
Transcript of 1€¦ · Web viewConsider processes used at previous electoral events, and feed lessons learned...
Project plannerReferendum on the UK Parliamentary voting system and Northern Ireland Assembly and local government elections – 5 May 2011Date:Author:Document version:Reviews:Name Role Date Sign-off ()
Contents 1 Objectives and success measures 1
2 Deliverables and tasks 2
3 Dependencies and contact details 22
4 Evaluation 23
1 Objectives and success measuresBefore compiling a detailed list of tasks, the aims of the project need to be established, i.e., what you want to achieve, and what success will look like.
Aims Tools for measuring successRun the polls in accordance with the legislation and the Chief Counting Officer’s (CCO’s) directions
Completion of tasks by deadlines Use of CCO’s resources
A good experience for all voters, with anybody who is entitled to vote able to do so
Feedback from voters Feedback from staff Feedback from organisations with an interest in the voting
process , including disability organisations
Transparency Feedback from stakeholders Any records that could be of interest to stakeholders and
can be made available, are made available Clear audit trail Communications strategy
Professional delivery
Project plan Risk register Management structure Record of project team meetings Contracts in place for any outsourced work Contingency arrangements
Consistency Plans Training schedule and materials Clear management structures and escalation procedures
Accurate results Clear audit trail Postal vote paperwork Ballot paper accounts Verification statements Worksheets Results
Results in which all stakeholders are confident
Record of complaints Feedback from voters, campaigners, candidates and
agents and other organisations with an interest in the polls, including disability organisations
Feedback from staff Minutes of evaluation/review and other relevant meetings No negative media reporting No challenges to the results
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2 Deliverables and tasksOnce the aims of the project have been established and objectives identified, individual tasks can be planned for and allocated. The plan below identifies a number of deliverables and tasks that must be undertaken, and highlights in blue tasks required to be undertaken at or by a particular time by the statutory timetable. You must also add any additional deliverables or tasks you identify as necessary, including any to reflect your own particular circumstances.
You must send a copy of your project plan to the Electoral Commission’s Northern Ireland office via email by 28 January 2011. You must keep the plan under review, and use it as a tool to monitor your progress against.
Although the Counting Officer and Returning Officer are legally distinct positions, the law requires that as Chief Electoral Officer you will fulfil both roles. We have therefore also included in this template deliverables and tasks relating to the functions of the Returning Officer in order to support you in developing one comprehensive plan that can be used to support you in delivering all of your functions related to the 5 May 2011 polls.
Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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Comments
Learn lessons from previous electoral events
Consider processes used at previous electoral events, and feed lessons
Consider outcomes from evaluation of previous electoral events
Consider
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Deliverables
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Tasks Lead officer
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learned into project planning
experiences of other areas at previous electoral events
Plan for any amendments identified as necessary as a result of these reviews
Prepare plans to support the effective delivery of the polls
Identify project aims and objectives, and plan for the tasks that will need to be undertaken to achieve these
Develop project plan using the CCO’s template
Identify and Develop risk
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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manage risks
register using the CCO’s template
Allocate sufficient resources
Financial Identify projected costs. Once the relevant Fees and Charges Orders have been made, reconcile projected costs for activities against the available budget
Staffing As you identify your staffing requirements, also check the recruitment processes you are intending to follow are robust and comply with all legal requirements (for
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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example, by seeking advice from your HR department)
Project team Assess need to recruit additional support staff
Identify staff for all roles
Develop contingency plans for unplanned staff absence
Staffing requirements for specific processes
Determine staffing requirements for specific processes, including polling station and verification and count staff
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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Comments
Write to any staff you have used previously and are considering re-appointing, checking availability
Appoint staff and dispatch letters of appointment
Support staff
Identify support staff
Draw up an escalation procedure for complex enquiries
Appoint support staff and dispatch letters of appointment as
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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Comments
appropriate
Provide training to all relevant staff
Training Ensure project team is familiar with elections and referendum framework and legislation, and assess training needs
Identify training needs for all other staff
Prepare training schedule
Prepare training sessions
Training of polling station staff
Training of postal
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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To be complete
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Comments
vote staff
Training of verification and count staff
Managing contractors/ suppliers
Poll cards/ballot papers/postal ballot packs
Assessment of whether you need to outsource through a cost-benefit analysis
Where outsourcing is decided:
Create a clear specification setting out exactly what is required and by when (see the CCO’s contract management checklist)
Commence
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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Comments
procurement process or choose a contractor from any existing list of approved contractors
Develop written contract(s) with legal and/or other expert advice
Make contingency arrangements
Document all stages of the production process, including any variations
Make initial contact with Royal Mail
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
Start (by not later than)
To be complete
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Comments
Identify and book venues
Polling stations
Conduct an evaluation of the suitability of polling stations
Identify and book polling stations
Make contingency arrangements, including preparing a list of alternative venues and an emergency protocol
Postal vote issue and openings
Identify and book venues
Make contingency arrangements, including preparing a list of alternative venues
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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and an emergency protocol
Finalise layout of the premises, taking into account workflows and IT and security requirements
Verification and count
Identify and book venue
Make contingency arrangements, including considering alternative venues and preparing emergency protocols
Finalise layout of
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
Start (by not later than)
To be complete
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Done
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Comments
the premises
Appropriate allocation of electors to polling stations
Managing polling stations
Allocate electors to polling stations (taking into account the CCO’s directions on the maximum number of electors per polling station)
Identification of potential integrity issues
Maintain a good working relationship with the police
Make contact with the police
Schedule regular communications
Review previous security arrangements and identify any risks
Make specific arrangements for police presence at
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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To be complete
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Comments
polling stations, verification and the count
Security of ballot boxes and ballot papers
Arrange for secure storage, including if there is a break in proceedings
Put in place a system to ensure that ballot papers cannot be interfered with during production and once they are ‘live’
Ensure all necessary equipment and stationery is in place
Stationery/ equipment
Prepare checklist of all stationery/equipment to be used
Check general stock levels and
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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To be complete
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Comments
conduct equipment audit
Produce paperwork to be used during the verification and count processes
Prepare ballot boxes and other polling station equipment and forms for collection/delivery
Ensure all official documents are in place
Poll cards Dispatch data to printers (ensuring system is in place to send updates after registration/absent voting deadlines)
Sign-off proofs
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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To be complete
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Done
(√)
Comments
First dispatch of poll cards
Postal ballot packs
Send data to printers
Sign off proofs
Commence printing (having ensured systems are in place to communicate data updates resulting from late applications), and carry out spot-checks
Ballot papers
Referendum ballot paper prepared in accordance with the CCO’s template and
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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Comments
directions for printing
Election ballot papers prepared in accordance with legislation
Dispatch data to printers and sign off proofs
Give print-run estimate
Confirm final print-run
Print ballot papers
and carry out spot-checks
Notices Decide where notices are to be displayed
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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Comments
Prepare notices
Registers and absent voters’ lists
Print registers for all polling stations, plus postal and proxy lists
Ensure process is in place for communicating alterations to register on polling day
Run nomination process and disseminate relevant information to candidates
Nomination Prepare nomination packs
Arrange informal checks of nomination papers
Decide on
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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and agents for the elections
methods for collecting deposit
Prepare and deliver briefing session
Disseminate relevant information to referendum campaigners
Prepare and deliver briefing session, using the CCO’s template
Publish notice of election and notice of referendum
Print, display and upload to website Not later than Friday 25
March 2011
Deadline for the notification of appointment of referendum agents
Print, display and upload to website notice of appointment of referendum agents
Thursday 7 April 2011 (noon)
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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Comments
Close of nominations and deadline for withdrawals of nomination for elections
Make final determination on validity of nominations as appropriate
Finalise election ballot papers
Thursday 7 April 2011 (1pm)
Deadline for notification of appointment of election agents
Print, display and upload to website notice of appointment of election agents
Thursday 7 April 2011 (1pm)
Publication of statement of persons nominated for Assembly and local government elections
Print, display and upload to website Thursday 7 April 2011
(6pm)
Publish notice of poll Print, display and upload to website Friday 8 April 2011
Deadline for applications for absent
Send updates to printers
Monday 11 April 2011 (5pm)
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
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Comments
votes
Registration deadline Obtain data of registrations under the 11-day rule
Thursday 14 April 2011
Deadline for late absent vote applications on the grounds of unforeseen illness
Ensure no applications are accepted after this time
Thursday 21 April 2011 (5pm)
Manage the absent voting process
Postal vote issuing process
Commence first issue of postal ballot packs by 18 April, plus further issues as circumstances demand.
Opening sessions
Confirm number and timing of opening sessions
Inform
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
Start (by not later than)
To be complete
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Done
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Comments
referendum agents, election agents and postal voting agents of opening sessions, giving at least 48 hours’ notice
First opening of postal votes
Final opening of postal votes, and completion of matching
Publish notice of alteration to the register
Issue poll cards and postal votes to those included in this alteration as appropriate Tuesday 26 April 2011
Deadline for notification Provide secrecy Tuesday 26 April 2011
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
Start (by not later than)
To be complete
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Done
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Comments
of appointment of polling and counting agents
requirements
After the declaration of result
Display/publish results
Arrange for collection of any equipment that may need to be removed
Seal and store the referendum materials as required by law and in the manner specified by the CCO
Pay fees to all staff involved
Review meeting
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Deliverables
Subject / Sub-deliverables
Tasks Lead officer
Start (by not later than)
To be complete
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Done
(√)
Comments
with stakeholders to obtain feedback
Complete and submit data returns
Submit accounts
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3 Dependencies and contact detailsThe delivery of the polls is dependent on the following internal and external service providers:
Department/ Service/ Company/
Contact name
Phone number Email address
Internal service providers
E.g. IT support team, Print services, HR…
External service providers
E.g. software supplier, hardware supplier, printers, specialist stationery suppliers, Royal Mail…
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4 EvaluationThis template can be used to inform the evaluation of the elections and referendum or, if you have not yet reviewed your last electoral event, to inform that review. It should be adapted to ensure that it reflects the main deliverables and tasks, and assesses whether the stated objectives have been met. The outcome of this evaluation can then be used to inform the planning for the next electoral event.
What worked well
Objectives met?
Issues to be addressed
Action To be completed by (date)
Responsible officer
Project planningE.g. timeliness of delivery, adequacy of task allocationAdequacy of polling places/stationsE.g. in relation to location/accessibility/size, response to any concerns arising from evaluation of suitability of polling stationsEquipment and stationeryE.g. stock levels
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PrintersE.g. quality, timescales, price, communicationSoftware performanceE.g. Performance of software, identification of any changes required to ease processing, supplier’s response to any issuesManagement of contractorsE.g. Performance of contractors: communication, effectiveness of contracts, value for moneyRecruitment and training (temporary and permanent)E.g. Was the training effective and were the staff efficient?Processing/handling of queriesE.g. Adequacy of FAQs, complaints recording
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processResourcesE.g. staffing levels, availability of resourcesSecurity/IntegrityE.g. any problems that arose, comments/feedback from policeVerification and count arrangementsE.g. suitability of venues and layoutPostal votingE.g. did all those who requested a postal vote receive oneNominationsE.g. feedback from candidates and agents on process and provision of informationCommunicationE.g. methods used for communicating information about the referendum and elections and the voting process. Did voters
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understand the process?Summary of feedback E.g. feedback received from voters and other stakeholders, including verbal feedback or through a structured survey
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Findings of the reviewAims Tools in
measuring success
Achieved ()
Comments/ supporting evidence
Run the polls in accordance with the legislation and the Chief Counting Officer’s (CCO’s) directions
Completion of tasks by deadlines
Use of CCO’s resources
A good experience for all voters, with anybody who is entitled to vote able to do so
Feedback from voters
Feedback from staff
Feedback from organisations with an interest in the voting process, including disability organisations
Transparency Feedback from stakeholders
Any records that could be of interest to stakeholders and can be made available, are made available
Clear audit trail Communications
strategy
Professional delivery
Project plan Risk register Management
structure Record of project
team meetings Contracts in
place for any outsourced work
Contingency arrangements
Consistency Plans Training schedule
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and materials Clear
management structures and escalation procedures
Accurate results Clear audit trail Postal vote
paperwork Ballot paper
accounts Verification
statements Worksheets Results
Results in which all stakeholders are confident
Record of complaints
Feedback from voters, campaigners, candidates and agents and other organisations with an interest in the polls, including disability organisations
Feedback from staff
Minutes of evaluation/review and other relevant meetings
No negative media reporting
No challenges to the results
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