LEAD is ECES' copyrighted training programme in Leadership and Electoral Conflict Management.
Among the different capacity-building programmes that are specific to ECES, the pioneering training programme in Leadership and Electoral Conflict Management for Electoral Stakeholders (better known as LEAD) strengthens the long term leadership capacities of electoral stakeholders. It contributes to increasing participants’ confidence, providing them with expertise in strategic decision-making, as well as extensive insights into conflict management throughout the electoral cycle.
The program was Initially developed through the close collaboration and synergies between ECES and the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) through its Leadership Beyond Boundaries initiative.
The LEAD program is built around the core values of inclusiveness and the exchange of specific experience and knowledge between electoral stakeholders. LEAD is designed for representatives of Electoral Management Bodies, civil society, NGOs, political parties, bodies entrusted with electoral justice, academics, security forces, the media and media regulatory bodies.
The LEAD training program is inspired by one key objective, the sustainability of all knowledge transfers. To this end, the program focuses on the appropriation of its contents through the implementation of a comprehensive training cycle, which includes:
- Training of Trainers (ToT)
- Three levels of certification
- Cascade trainings
The rationale behind the LEAD system lies in a commitment to the long-term strengthening of capacities. The creation of a pool of LEAD trainers, will ensure that they themselves have the capacity to train other future participants in an autonomous manner.
The LEAD programs includes:
The LEAD program is structured around a seven day Training of Trainers course and five day LEAD Training courses. LEAD Training courses include sessions on:
- The applications of leadership skills to electoral processes
- The electoral cycle and its potential weaknesses
- Electoral crises, conflicts and violence
- Leading principles behind conflict management
- The application of leadership skills in the prevention of electoral crises
- Individual and organizational leadership
- Mediation and conflict prevention
- The core values of leadership, tolerance and development