Composition
The Department of Training and Outreach comprises two units:
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Training, Procedures and Voter Education Unit,
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External Relations/Outreach Unit
The Department is made up of:
Functions
The Training, Procedures and Voter Education Unit is responsible for training NEC and related personnel on electoral processes, building the capacities of staff for professional growth, developing election procedures and providing voter education/sensitization for the populace on election and civic matters.
The unit is also responsible for organizing and coordinating all internal and external forms of training in order to enhance staff capacity building; developing user friendly manuals and facilitating effective voter education for various electoral processes.
External Relations/Outreach Unit
This Unit deals with media/public relation functions including liaison with political parties and other key stakeholders at both national and international levels. It promotes the Commission’s mission, through information sharing with stakeholders and the electorate. Its activities include; radio discussions at national and community levels, update of the NEC website, publishing of NEC newsletters and accreditation of election observers (for all elections conducted by NEC).
Accomplishments
In the period under review, the Department accomplished the following;
- Gender Mainstreaming Training workshop. The training was held in two phases: Phase 1- covering DEOs, ADEOs and VETOs in the Bombali, Western Urban., Western Rural, Port Loko, Kambia and Kono districts; held in Makeni city on the 24th and 26th June, 2014 and Phase II– covering Bo, Bonthe, Moyamba, Pujehun, Kenema, Kailahun districts and Headquarter technical staff; held in Bo city 6th to 8th July, 2014
- Management Training on Effective Leadership Skills, held at the Civil Service Training College, Freetown on the 11th and 12th December, 2014. Participants included the Executive Secretary and eight Directors of the Commission.
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Holding of Political Parties Liaison Committee (PPLC) meetings to discuss and resolve issues as they relate to various electoral processes like the conduct of bye-elections;
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Publication of quarterly NEC bulletin for information sharing at internal and external levels ( NEC Commissioners and staff, donor partners, the SLP, ONS, Civil Society Organizations etc);
- Updating of the NEC website with current electoral events.
- Engagement with national stakeholders like the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), Civil Society organizations, the ONS and Donor partners to discuss vital electoral related matters.
- Radio/Television discussion programmes and engagement with community radio stations through the Independent Radio Network (IRN)
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