October 2011
This publication was produced by IFES for the U.S. Agency for International 
Development concerning Associate Cooperative Agreement No. AID 167-A-00-
10-00102-00, under Leader Agreement No. DFD-A-00-08-00350-00.
A MORE PROFESSIONAL EMB ORGANIZING 
BETTER ELECTIONS:
AN INTERIM ASSESSMENT OF IFES’ SUPPORT TO THE CENTRAL 
ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF MOVLDOVA 2008-2011
A More Professional EMB Organizing Better 
Elections 
An Interim Assessment of IFES’ Support to the Central Electoral Commission of Moldova 
2008-2011 
International Foundation for Electoral Systems
A More Professional EMB Organizing Better 
Elections 
Staffan Darnolf 
October 2011 
Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not 
necessarily reflect the views of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. 
A More Professional EMB Organizing Better Elections 
Staffan Darnolf 
© 2011 by IFES. All rights reserved. 
International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) 
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Fifth Floor 
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Notice of rights 
All rights reserved. No part of this report can be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means without the prior 
permission of the publisher. 
Printed in the United States of America. 
About IFES
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is the global leader in election assistance and democracy 
promotion. 
IFES promotes democratic stability by providing technical assistance and applying field-based research to the 
electoral cycle in countries around the world to enhance citizen participation and strengthen civil societies, 
governance and transparency. 
Every IFES project is staffed by national and international personnel while partnering with local election 
management bodies and civil society organizations. This homegrown approach ensures that the expertise offered 
by IFES fits the needs of the country or client and the benefit of assistance outlasts the life of the project. Our work 
is nonpartisan and includes projects that: 
Help citizens participate in their democracies 
Increase politicians' accountability to the electorate 
Strengthen government institutions 
Since its founding in 1987, IFES has worked in 133 countries — from developing democracies, to mature 
democracies. 
IFES is a non-governmental organization; registered as a 501(c)3 in the United States. 
Table of Contents 
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Methodology ................................................................................................................................................................. 1
CEC Baseline .................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Findings .......................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Recommendations ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Appendix A: Strengthening Democratic Political Activism in Moldova (SDPA) Program .............................................. 8
Appendix B: Moldovan Electoral Administration Capacity Development (MEACD) Program .....................................14
Appendix C: Interviews in Chisinau, Moldova, 5 – 9 September 2001 ........................................................................15
A More Professional EMB Organizing Better Elections 
1
Introduction
IFES returned to the Republic of Moldova in 2008 to assist the Central Election Commission (CEC) in improving its 
ability to professionally administer elections. The main objectives related to capacity building of the CEC included 
the following activities: 
Strengthening the CEC’s supervision of and communication with District Election Commissions (DECs) 
and Precinct Electoral Bureaus (PEBs) 
Improving public outreach activities by CEC and DECs 
Developing a political finance reporting and monitoring regime for the CEC 
Improving the election dispute resolution process 
IFES initiated, with support from USAID, a second project entitled Moldovan Electoral Administration Capacity 
Development Program (MEACD) after April 2010. The specific objectives of this grant have included: 
Strengthening the systems for the creation of the voter registry 
Building administrative, operational and management capacity of election officials 
Assisting the CEC in developing continuous training capacity 
Increasing public trust in electoral processes through targeted voter education initiatives 
Even though individual project activities have been subject to evaluations, there has been no effort to assess the 
impact of IFES’ assistance to the CEC and evaluate if the CEC has indeed been strengthened in the way envisioned. 
To fill the gap, this assessment mission was launched. The main tasks of the mission were to: 
Assess ways the CEC changed in its ability to professionally manage election events since 2008 
Provide IFES an assessment on the extent of its impact and influence on organizational changes that 
have taken place 
Make recommendations on ways IFES can improve its performance and add value to the CEC in the 
next two years 
Methodology
The assessment methodology applied strives to ensure an unbiased and unvarnished picture of IFES’ activities in 
Moldova from 2008-2011. Given the limited time spent by the assessor on the ground and the short timespan 
between assessment request and actual deployment, the methodology used was qualitative in nature. This report 
is based on the following five sources of information: 
In-person interviews with IFES staff in Chisinau 
In-person interviews with key CEC staff directly exposed to IFES project activities during the period in 
question 
In-person interviews with key external Moldovan stakeholders exposed to the CEC 
In-person interviews with key external international stakeholders working/interacting with the CEC 
Review of IFES documents, as well as reports drafted by other national and international election 
stakeholders, such as observer missions 
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CEC Baseline
The baseline is established from review of initial reports by the IFES Moldova office and complemented by the 
evaluator’s personal interactions with the CEC in 2008. 
Training CEC’s training of its ad-hoc DEC and PEB officers was characterized by an outdated 
pedagogical training methodology, ineffective training material and lack of quality 
control. IFES expressed concerns early on in the process, as the CEC leadership was 
expressively content with how it trained its field-based officials and saw no real need or 
room for improvements. The CEC regularly held trainings with an excess of 100+ 
participants who were addressed by a senior official reading from a manual dominated 
by direct excerpts from various legal codes. Very limited practical exercises were 
performed, if at all. Once a training program came to an end, trainees were not tested 
and simply assumed able to perform their duties. 
Voter Education Voter Education was not a priority at the CEC in 2008, which was evident in their 
allocation of staff, competency-profiles and activities conducted. At the CEC Secretariat, 
the very same unit is responsible for both training and voter education activities. The 
staffing profile of this department was dominated by more individuals with a training 
background than communications, graphic design, message development, etc. In fact, 
the department acted more as the CEC’s press unit than a voter education department, 
as it spent almost all its outreach time on drafting press releases, organizing press 
conferences and generally assisting the CEC with its media image. 
Campaign Finance The Council of Europe had a program on campaign finance indirectly affecting the CEC’s 
work at this time. It included the development of a manual and some training for 
political parties and their accountants so that they could better understand and comply 
with existing laws and regulations. However, the CEC’s involvement only included 
commenting on the manual produced by an external international expert. 
Findings
This section of the report will focus on three aspects; (1) the external and internal perception of CEC’s work, (2) 
IFES’ support to the CEC and (3) recommendations for future programming by IFES. 
CEC – Internal and External Perceptions 
As can be expected, current CEC officials at all levels of the organization’s headquarters in Chisinau expressed
satisfaction with CEC work during the course of the last three years. This is a very common reaction from 
employees still employed by an institution. Even when promised anonymity, it is common for employees to 
consider risks associated with criticizing and showing “disloyalty.” Further, CEC officials have often worked 
extremely long hours preparing and implementing elections and have thereby invested both physically and 
emotionally in a successful process. As a result, it is less plausible they would express negative attitudes towards 
the CEC, as it epitomizes those very elections. In order to overcome this potential methodological weakness, a 
number of former CEC Commissioners were added to the interview matrix. 
A More Professional EMB Organizing Better Elections 
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The theme across all interviews, be it current or former CEC officials, was openness and/or transparency. This is 
particularly true in the CEC’s interaction with external stakeholders. The CEC has been increasingly more willing to 
share not only final documentation and plans outside of the organization, but also embraced publication of 
decisions and minutes from CEC Commissioner meetings to the largest possible audience, often publishing those 
documents online within 24 hours. Unfortunately, CEC officers noted that information sharing has not always been 
as efficient and inclusive within the CEC. 
Former CEC Commissioners, as well as external national and international stakeholders almost unanimously 
reiterated CEC’s improved openness. The latter also added yet another positive development – improved 
inclusiveness. The Commission has chosen to invite cooperation between partners and participate in more forums 
generating more opportunities for exchanges. Equally important, the Commission is increasingly less sensitive to 
criticism and more willing to engage in dialogue. Still, external stakeholders stressed the need for the CEC to 
further improve its level of transparency and inclusiveness. 
Voter Education 
CEC officials were generally positive of the CEC’s voter education campaigns. They liked how the campaigns 
projected a more modern election management body (EMB) – one embracing new technologies and targeting 
previously overlooked segments of the electorate, such as youth, while remembering that a majority of voters 
reside in rural areas. The contents of the CEC’s voter education campaigns were also more progressive in reflecting 
their organization, which was formally portrayed as stale and conservative. Despite this progress, these 
improvements are both reversible and likely. 
From 2008-2011, a mix of IFES, UNDP and Council of Europe (CoE) activities were employed to improve the CEC’s 
voter education activities. The relevant Secretariat’s Department has become aware of the benefits of the new 
approach. They are asking the right questions and can draft a voter education concept plan. However, as almost all 
material development was outsourced, its staff has only a rudimentary understanding of how to develop, design 
and manage a modern outreach campaign. No efficient assessment of communication channels and messages 
utilized exists at the CEC. This undermines the CEC’s capacity to continuously learn and improve upon its voter 
education activities. 
However, one recent step in the right direction was taken by the CEC when it decided to pay for voter education 
activities and materials leading up to the recent 2011 local elections. Unfortunately, this is expected to be an 
isolated incident, as CEC leadership has yet to prioritize voter education. Unless this changes, most of the gains 
achieved to date will be lost when foreign donors and technical assistance providers discontinue their support. 
New Training Methodology 
The CEC had a history of organizing trainings characterized by 100+ participants attending a lecture-style training 
program with a trainer reading from an extensive manual, largely filled with excerpts from legal codes and 
regulations. Pre-and post-testing of trainees and monitoring and evaluation activities for the large-scale trainings 
of DEC and PEB members were not part of the responsible Department’s toolbox. 
Over the course of the last three years, IFES has paid special attention to the CEC’s training requirements. Special 
focus was put on developing training programs and materials to improve the trainers used by the CEC. Extensive 
resources were invested in developing training material based on modern adult pedagogical training 
methodologies. Training manuals, teaching aids and videos were produced with the end-users in mind, 
International Foundation for Electoral Systems
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understanding that adults rely on different senses when processing new information. The overarching theme was 
to create a user-friendly environment, enabling all trainees to successfully complete the course with sufficient 
understanding of one’s role and responsibilities when performing his/her electoral duties. Pre-and post-testing 
tools were developed and the importance of monitoring and evaluation emphasized. 
IFES’ office in Chisinau has closely monitored and reported on the training component of its program. It shows the 
CEC’s initial reluctance to the suggested changes. To overcome this reluctance, IFES chose a staggered approach. 
By demonstrating the benefits of using modern user-friendly training materials and interactive sessions in smaller 
settings, CEC leadership and the Secretariat’s training unit gradually came around. The CEC, at all levels, now 
recognizes the importance of using modern adult pedagogical tools in all its trainings, be it for ad-hoc DEC and PEB 
members or for permanent staff. The CEC is also now taking the lead in improving existing training material based 
on the new pedagogical methodology. The benefits associated with the new training methodology are clearly 
recognized by the CEC which ensures sustainability, and is thus a major achievement of the project. 
The CEC still displays an inability to fully rollout the PEB cascade-training program in a consistent and uniform 
manner across Moldova. As a result, the CEC cannot guarantee that voters across the country are exposed to the 
very same Election Day process. The CEC still needs to strengthen its monitoring and evaluation capability and 
improve the pre-and post-testing of trainees. This is probably the main reason why domestic and international 
observer missions are still noticing inconsistencies in adherence to polling and counting regulations on Election Day 
in Moldova. 
Other Technical Assistance Components 
Tracking and assessing technical assistance to an EMB is often challenging. Especially if advice rendered falls within 
a broad-based category, such as improving how elections are prepared and administrated in a country. As the 
relationship between IFES and the CEC has developed over time, IFES has also offered advice in a broad range of 
areas. The two dominating topics have been voter registration and campaign finance. 
Voter Registration 
With its significant voter registration budget, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has taken the 
lead in assisting the CEC in this area. It supplied a voter registration expert (IT-focus) to the CEC for almost two 
years and procured additional external services for software development and procurement of information and 
communication technology (ICT) equipment. As the UNDP’s ability to continue its service in this area was recently 
suspended due to funding, IFES stepped in to carry the process forward, but with a slightly different focus.1
Emphasis has instead been put on identifying the root cause behind substandard voter registration data. Based on 
this, alternative solutions are to be identified. The responsibilities for collecting, processing and verifying voter 
registration data are shared among several state institutions and are not always clear. As a result, IFES has been 
instrumental in establishing a working group including all relevant national stakeholders (as well as UNDP and IFES) 
to improve information sharing and coordination among these actors. Further, a mapping exercise identifying 
human, technical and other resources currently available to implement their respective mandates are under way. 
Based on these activities, the CEC should be in position to better rationalize how future voter registration 
methodology should work and be organized. 
 
1
 It is widely expected that UNDP will resume its voter registration support in the very near future, as new funds become available. 
A More Professional EMB Organizing Better Elections 
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Campaign Finance 
When IFES reopened its office in 2008, campaign finance was a political issue of minor importance. The Council of 
Europe was working with political parties on the fringes of a larger anti-corruption program. Initially, IFES only 
assisted in the margins by enabling the CEC to expeditiously process, scan and publish campaign expense reports 
online and thereby make the information readily available to a broad audience. As more elections have been 
organized (four over the past 24 months), concerns over money and politics have become more vocal, but without 
any tangible strategy for change. The CEC, with active support and encouragement from IFES, has gradually taken 
small, but critical steps in the area of campaign finance. One of the more visible actions was a joint conference 
with the CoE in 2008 on enforcement and compliance of campaign finance regulations with political party 
representatives and enforcement agencies. 
During the 2010-11 period, the CEC stepped up its focus on campaign finance. With the assistance of IFES, a more 
thorough analysis of the reported campaign expenditures was conducted. As a result, there now exists a better 
understanding of the type of campaign expenditures used by political parties. Even if only indicative, the study also 
exposed the enormity of financial abuses during elections in Moldova. If not genuinely and effectively combated, 
illegal campaign contributions and expenditures could erode the electorate’s confidence and trust in political 
parties and their representative. Equally vulnerable is the CEC, as it is widely regarded as the institution charged 
with combatting illegal campaign contributions and expenditures. If the CEC fails to recognize this challenge, its 
improved credibility as a professional EMB would be dealt a serious, if not fatal, blow. 
Recommendations 
The level of coordination and collaboration between international election technical service providers is 
impressive. In many other locations, genuine cooperation is often missing and negatively affects the impact of 
support projects rendered. This is not the case in Moldova, where the UNDP, IFES and CoE have established and 
maintained a coordination mechanism benefitting donors, the CEC and technical assistance providers over the 
years. It is important that this level of cooperation is maintained. 
Overall, IFES’ program in Moldova has been very successful. On short notice and a small budget, IFES established a 
very productive relationship with the CEC, generating tangible improvements to electoral processes covered by 
project activities. As a result, IFES’ standing as a top-tier technical assistance provider is evident in Moldova and 
recognized by both national and international stakeholders. To consolidate this status, and offer more 
sophisticated technical assistance services to the CEC, it is recommended that IFES focus on a select number of 
program activities. Only programs that are of strategic importance to improving the electoral process in Moldova 
and are sustainable should be pursued. 
Voter Education 
IFES and other international service providers have greatly assisted the CEC in developing extensive, much-needed 
national voter education campaigns leading up to every single election and referendum during the last three years. 
As mentioned above, this support has been important and vastly contributed to the CEC’s improved outreach 
activity-portfolio. However, the CEC’s in-house capability to design, develop, implement and analyze voter 
education programs remains rudimentary. Further, CEC leadership’s interest in shouldering this responsibility in 
the near future is negligible. As long as the CEC is not willing to prioritize voter education, continued international 
support will lack sustainability. Continued international support in this area could actually be counterproductive 
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unless voter education is part of a well-defined and closely-monitored transitional plan. As long as no such plan is 
in place, it is recommended that voter education activities be discontinued. 
Civic Education 
Integrating information on elections and its roles and functions in a democratic, multiparty-based political system 
based on fundamental human rights is essential. This is often a mandate the CEC shares with other state 
institutions like the Ministry of Education. While having unprecedented access to youth, the Ministry of Education 
often lacks sufficient understanding of electoral processes, as do other government institutions charged with 
informing or educating various segments of the Moldovan population. By promoting and supporting closer linkages 
and better coordination, the CEC can contribute to an improved appreciation of elections, elected officials and the 
authority charged with organizing elections. IFES could therefore assist the CEC in organizing a multi-stakeholder 
working group on civic education in order to explore areas of cooperation and develop an action-plan. 
Voter Registration 
Voter registration remains one of the most controversial issues in Moldova. UNDP and others have assisted the 
CEC in improving parts of the registration process, but a complete and accurate voter roll continues to elude the 
Moldovan electorate. IFES as an institution has extensive and first-class voter registration experts and should 
therefore continue to offer targeted technical voter registration advice. IFES should primarily focus on the ongoing 
evaluation of the resources available to local public administrations to collect, process and clean voter registration 
data. Based on this assessment, IFES should assist the CEC in conducting a holistic review of existing and 
alternative registration methodologies. It is clear that the current voter registration process, at least in its current 
format, has proven insufficient. 
Continuous Training Center and other training support 
According to new provisions of the electoral code, the CEC is allowed to establish a Continuous Training Center 
(CTC). The main purpose of the CTC is to train and accredit electoral officials of all levels. This is a welcomed 
development, as it enables the CEC to build on lessons learned from IFES’ support to the CEC’s training department 
over the last couple of years. CEC leadership is also very eager to launch the CTC as soon as possible and has great 
plans for the CTC. 
Although laudable, the CEC’s grand plan for the new training center is largely a set of disparate ideas. IFES could 
therefore offer both crucial and critical support by assisting the CEC in developing two documents of pivotal 
importance to starting up the CTC. First, a concept paper outlining the mandate, structure and resource 
requirements of CTC is needed, without which it will be difficult to obtain financial support. Equally important to 
its success is a carefully prepared and staged launch of the center. IFES has to be cognizant of the fact that the CEC 
and its Secretariat have very limited administrative resources. By overreaching, the entire project could fail before 
it even takes off. Thus, a CTC strategic plan is needed to clearly outline CTC priorities, timing of projects, human 
and financial resource requirements, CEC organizational reform and potential legislative and regulatory 
amendments. This document should be adopted by the CEC and govern the CTC’s establishment and roll-out. 
CEC and IFES could jointly develop such documents. Efforts should be made to build on regional experiences in this 
area, such as Georgia. 
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Campaign Finance 
Coming to terms with illegal campaign contributions and expenditures is critical to the democratic electoral project 
in Moldova. Given its extremely delicate nature, IFES needs to ensure the CEC’s willingness to move forward in a 
strategic and effective manner in this area before committing resources. Two actions clearly within CEC’s current 
mandate could be used as triggers to show CEC’s seriousness in combating campaign finance abuses:
The CEC makes several improvements to campaign finance forms, forcing parties to disclose 
campaign contributions and expenditures in greater detail, and enabling the CEC and other watchdog 
institutions to better track and enforce campaign finance regulations 
The CEC should amend its organizational structure and establish positions, such as auditors, 
dedicated to tracking and analyzing campaign finance expenditures 
Once the CEC has agreed to the above actions, IFES should move forward in assisting the CEC strengthen its 
campaign finance capabilities and outreach to political parties and other watchdog institutions. It is further 
recommended that IFES explore a new approach to mitigate campaign finance abuse by engaging Moldova’s 
Chamber of Commerce. Senior company representatives need to be better enformed about the legal regulations 
governing money and politics. Increased awareness by donors of the rules and better enforcement on the part of 
government could significantly reduce the influx of illegal funds. 
Polling Station kits 
The international best practice principle guiding use of election commodities in polling stations on Election Day is 
uniformity. Irrespective of where a voter casts his/her ballot, the procedures and material used should be 
identical. If not, Moldovan voters could be exposed to election commodities on Election Day, of which some are of 
acceptable standards and thereby safeguarding the process’ integrity. In other instances, the materials could be 
prone to abuse, like substandard seals on ballot boxes prone to breakage or transportation of sensitive material 
using insecure packaging. In other cases, ballot boxes are made of wood or solid metal effectively undermining a 
reasonable level of transparency, rending the process vulnerable to abuse. 
Moldova still lacks a standardized polling station kit acceptable to international standards. IFES could assist the CEC 
in developing its content and defining required specifications. Translucent ballot boxes, uniquely numbered seals, 
tamper-evident bags, unique stamps and standardized forms are but a few commodities worthy of consideration. 
Based on IFES' global experience in procurement of similar electoral commodities, with support from the IFES 
procurement unit in Washington, D.C., the Moldova office could develop an estimated budget and a document 
outlining rationale for the introduction of improved and standardized polling station kits and other materials 
related to polling and counting. Based on this, the CEC could approach donors with a more complete, well￾researched and potentially successful request for support. 
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Appendix A: Strengthening Democratic Political Activism in Moldova (SDPA) 
Program
IFES program activities from 19 June 2008 – 30 April, 20102
 
General Overview 
Over the course of the 20-month program, IFES’ activities worked to enhance the election management body’s 
capacity to conduct credible elections, including: 
1. Organizational development and enhanced capacity of CEC 
Conducted a review of CEC training manuals and training methods for District Election Councils 
(DECs) and Precinct Electoral Bureaus (PEBs) 
Created PEB and DEC manuals for the training of 20,000 election officials 
Advised the CEC with development of a training video to accompany the PEB training manual 
Trained 2,000 appointed DEC and PEB Chairpersons/DEC training for potential members 
Developed cascade–style training for 18,000 polling officials, as well as 21,000 DEC and PEB 
officials for the 5 April 2009 elections and 21,000 officials for the 29 July 2009 elections 
Developed a new PEB display procedure manual 
Hosted a three-tiered post-election review process in October-November 2009, involving all 
major political stakeholders 
Assisted the CEC in developing a strategic planning initiative 
Assisted the CEC in conducting an international conference entitled “The Usage of New 
Technologies in the Creation of Voters’ Lists”
Established a comprehensive Strategic Planning Schedule for the CEC and discussions on next 
steps in the development of the CEC Strategic Plan utilizing results from the Strategic Planning 
Questionnaire Report 
Advised the CEC on the prevention of multiple voting before the 5 April 2009 elections 
Advised the CEC on the results transmission system 
Advised the CEC on establishing a Center for Continuous Training 
Built capacity of the CEC training department to understand active adult-based learning 
techniques and training methods 
2. Voter information advisory support to design a campaign and coordinate efforts 
Provided training and public outreach campaigns resulting from the post-April 2009 election 
review and assessment 
Undertook a get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaign, as well as produced and disseminated related 
outreach materials 
 
2
 This document was developed by IFES Moldova.
A More Professional EMB Organizing Better Elections 
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3. Political Finance Regulation, Monitoring and Enforcement 
Organized a joint conference with the Council of Europe (CoE) on enforcement and compliance 
of campaign finance regulations 
Developed a manual in collaboration with the CoE to assist in campaign finance regulation 
4. Resolving election disputes 
Reviewed the election dispute resolution process/complaints mechanism and provided 
recommendations prior to the 2009 elections 
5. Assessment of Voter registration 
Undertook a voter lists verification campaign, as well as produced and disseminated related 
outreach materials 
Reviewed the voter registry and electronic voter (e-voter) registry system 
Supported the process of the electoral reform by advising CEC and reviewed the draft law on the 
amendments of the Electoral Code for the Moldovan Parliament 
IFES’ technical assistance over the course of the project included strategic advice to the CEC; training of key staff 
members of the CEC; a review and improvement of instructions and forms related to key areas of election 
administration; and a professional training program for DECs and PEBs based on clear and user-friendly manuals 
and a training video. The main goal of IFES’ assistance was to aid the CEC in holding democratic elections that were 
more in line with international standards. 
Results 
The overarching goal of IFES’ programming in Moldova was to support a free and fair democratic election process, 
in line with European and international standards. IFES was able to achieve this goal through several means, most 
notably through the establishment a strong working relationship between IFES and the CEC. IFES’ efforts only 
became effective through the necessary level of trust between representatives of the election commission and 
IFES staff members offering advice. This process often takes time, but IFES Moldova staff members were able to 
quickly build symbiotic relations with the CEC at the onset of the project. This partnership led to agreements on 
how to improve the CEC training program and training materials, streamline the CEC complaints adjudication 
system, improve the Election Code and many other positive changes impacting election administration in Moldova. 
Cooperation between IFES and the CEC during the 2009 parliamentary elections and the July 2009 snap poll was 
codified by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation with the CEC, which marked the commencement of a new era 
of collaboration between the two institutions. 
The chart below outlines IFES’ activities and subsequent results accomplished throughout this 20-month program: 
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Objective Activities/Results
Strengthened CEC 
supervision of DECs 
and PEBs
CEC management trainings
Increased ability of the CEC to effectively train DEC and PEB officers
Assessment and tactical discussions on the CEC’s training abilities
CEC management broadened its understanding and appreciation for 
alternate training approaches
More user-friendly training materials were produced in collaboration with 
the CEC
Reduced class sizes (from 100 to 20-40) for increased interaction amongst 
participants
Negotiations with CEC on timeframe for potential DEC member trainings
DEC members were trained prior to their official appointment
Mitigated risk that training participants did not actually become DEC 
members
Training of trainers (ToT) held prior to the July 2009 elections
Interaction between CEC and trainers provided practical insights and 
highlighted complexities of PEB responsibilities and key portions of the 
Election Code
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Increased proficiency 
of DECs and PEBs to 
administer elections 
on a local basis
Development of innovative ToT materials and conduct of trainings
Improved training materials using input from trainees
Greater understanding on part of DEC and PEB officers on training topics 
and methodology
Development of DEC training manuals, PEB videos/manuals and trainings
Development of the first user-friendly DEC manual for the April 2009 
election with an emphasis on: display of provisional voter list, complaints 
procedures and interaction with observers
Updated PEB and DEC manuals were utilized in trainings to prepare over 
20,000 election officials prior to the July 2009 election
PEB manuals and trainings on relevant issues identified after the April 2009 
election: transparency of vote count; reduction of errors in results forms; 
interaction with observers; display of provisional voter lists by PEBs
Peer reviews of the training materials and methods
Increased understanding on IFES’ part of the working of the CEC and 
subordinate levels
Evaluation surveys on the PEB training videos
Positive feedback on the videos lead to observer missions and NDI/IRI 
requesting copies of the video for their trainings
Improved quality of 
voter registration 
system, accuracy of 
voters’ list and level 
of confidence among 
voters
IFES’ identification of the risk associated with premature introduction of 
computers as the principle source for the voter registry in polling stations
CEC retained paper-based voters lists as the legal document
Assessment of the voter registry and subsequent comprehensive report
Recommendations served as the foundation for recommendations to 
changes of the electoral code and will be used to guide future VR activities, 
such as an audit of the voter lists
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Improved public 
outreach by CEC and 
DECs
Public outreach plan developed for the CEC
More coherent and intensive usage of state-owned television and radio 
stations
Get-Out- the-Vote (GOTV) Campaign prior to the July 2009 election
GOTV sends a more modern message with less technical language to inform 
voters on new display procedures
A larger audience was reached with a consistent message covering key 
concepts of the electoral process, such as display of provisional voter lists 
using modern dissemination techniques such as SMS, internet, electronic 
billboards, Moldovan music, TV, radio and television PSAs, and popular 
social networking sites
Efficient system of 
reporting and 
monitoring campaign 
finance
Streamlining the process of filing party and candidate campaign contributions
CEC processed disclosure forms in a timely manner
Trainings with political party representatives and enforcement agents
Media and watchdog organizations can launch investigations into 
irregularities utilizing the scanned disclosure forms posted on the CEC’s 
official website
Improved election 
dispute resolution 
system
Review of the election dispute process and comprehensive report
Streamlining of CEC control over total amount and type of complaint prior 
to elections
Development of a set of Frequently Asked Questions on how to file a complaint
CEC’s dispute resolution mechanism public information material 
strengthened via use of non-legalistic language
Stakeholders are informed about complaints process and have access to 
necessary documentation to file a complaint
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Strengthening the 
CEC’s election 
management for 
future elections
Structured review of the electoral administration process
CEC assessed its mandate operations and decision making; over 100 
suggestions for improvements and changes to the Election Code and 
management resulted from workshop; priorities for improvement were 
established
Organizing of the ACEEEO Election Technology Conference
CEC raised its profile; communication and coordination between the 
institutions for the voter registry were strengthened
Development of an organizational assessment and creation of a strategic 
planning committee
IFES’ report on the Strategic Planning Questionnaire, a study conducted to 
assess the CEC’s internal strengths and weaknesses, performance, 
reputation and potential; report served as a guide to develop the five year 
strategic plan
Expert advice and 
assistance on the 
legal framework for 
elections
Review of the draft election code
Amendments that were unrealistic or difficult to implement were 
highlighted
Recommendations were utilized by the parliament in amendments to the 
election code on out-of-country voting, rights of observers, election 
complaints and appeals, electoral campaign and media, use of public 
resources and formation of electoral blocs and electoral commissions
International Foundation for Electoral Systems
14
Appendix B: Moldovan Electoral Administration Capacity Development (MEACD) 
Program 
IFES program activities from 1 May 2010 – 30 April 20113
 
General Overview 
The proposed MEACD program has been designed to address the four most critical shortcomings in election 
administration in Moldova, as identified during two elections in 2009 and in the post-election review exercise the 
CEC conducted in partnership with stakeholders. 
Over the course of the last 16 months, IFES’ activities included: 
1. Election Officer Training: Improved training tools for the 2010 Referendum, 2010 November snap 
elections and 2011 June local elections to strengthen the credibility and legitimacy of the electoral 
process and, therefore, the results. Over the last three election events, IFES developed and produced 
over 80,000 electoral officer manuals and 2,000 training videos. Prior to each electoral event, IFES 
assisted the CEC in training polling bureau and district election commission members on their electoral 
responsibilities. Currently assisting the CEC develop a Center for Continuous Training. 
2. Voter Education: Developed a voter education campaign for the 2010 November election and 2011 June 
local elections, IFES encouraged and assisted the CEC in developing a comprehensive and unified voter 
education campaign with UNDP, Council of Europe and local NGOs. 
3. Voter List: The main area of electoral tension is the accuracy of the voter list. With IFES assistance, the 
CEC was able to decrease supplementary voter lists by 62 percent from the 2007 local elections to the 
2011 local elections. Supplementary voter lists are a key indicator for an inaccurate voter list.IFES 
continues to analyze weaknesses of the voter list. 
4. Campaign Finance: Built the capacity of the CEC and a local NGO to monitor political party campaign 
finances prior to the November 2010 election. Funded and assisted in research on the strengths and 
weaknesses of the current campaign finance system. Now engaging local stakeholders (civil society, 
media and governmental officials) to reform laws and regulations governing political party finances.
 
3
 This document was developed by IFES Moldova. 
A More Professional EMB Organizing Better Elections 
15
Appendix C: Interviews in Chisinau, Moldova, 5 – 9 September 2001 
Angela Caraman, Secretary, Chisinau municipality, Pretura Centru 
Corina Borzin, Head of the Legal Department, CEC Moldova
Corneliu Pasat, Senior Adviser, Training, Civic Education and Secretariat Department, CEC Moldova 
Doina Bordeianu, Head of the Training, Civic Education and Secretariat Department, CEC Moldova 
Eugene Sienkiewicz, General Development Officer, USAID 
Ion Creanga, Head of the Legal Department, Parliament 
Ion Manole, Executive Director, Promo-Lex Association 
Iurie Ciocan, President, CEC Moldova 
Igor Botan, Executive Director, ADEPT Association 
Kate Sullivan, Chief Technical Adviser, UNDP Country Office & UNDP Project 
Kent Larson, Director, USAID Moldova 
Mihai Busuleac, former member, CEC Moldova 
Mariana Musteata, Head of Staff, CEC Moldova 
Nicolae Panfil, former Secretary, Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections 
Pavel Postica, Project Manager, Promo-Lex Association
Renata Lapti, former Vice-President, CEC 
Sorin Mereacre, Executive Director, East-European Foundation 
Stela Leuca, Project Management Specialist, USAID Moldova 
Traian Turcanu, Adviser to the Head of the Council, Council of Europe in Moldova
Vitalie Vremiș, Portfolio Manager, UNDP Country Office & UNDP Project