This week in Addis Ababa, as part of our project in Ethiopia, co-funded by the European Union and Germany through KfW, we organised a joint lessons-learned workshop with the Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organisations for Elections (CECOE) to reflect on our collaboration during Ethiopia’s seventh general election and to identify lessons to strengthen future electoral cycles.
Discussions focused on three key areas of our cooperation: civic and voter education, media monitoring and domestic electoral observation. Representatives from our team, CECOE, and its member organisations reviewed implemented activities, shared good practices, and examined operational challenges encountered in the field. This participatory approach helped assess the methods adopted and identify effective practices and areas for improvement to inform future activities.
Beyond implementation, the exchanges highlighted the importance of coordination between CECOE, its member organisations and other electoral stakeholders. Participants discussed the need to preserve institutional knowledge, strengthen cooperation mechanisms and document practical lessons to support continuity and effective civil society engagement.
Participants also focused on CECOE’s institutional sustainability, discussing the coalition’s organisational priorities, its engagement over the coming years, and overall practical measures to sustain its activities beyond the project’s lifetime. These discussions addressed long-term planning, building internal capacities, and consolidating cooperation with member organisations.
These exchanges reflect multiple dimensions of our work: strengthening civil society capacities, supporting participation throughout the electoral cycle and promoting observation mechanisms that contribute to transparency and accountability. Capturing lessons learned also helps connect field-level activities with broader institutional development, ensuring that practical experience informs future approaches.
Through this workshop, we continue working alongside Ethiopian civil society to strengthen its contribution to credible, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful electoral processes.
By translating lessons learned into practical priorities, we support the continued engagement of civil society organisations in future elections and their broader contribution to democratic life.
15 October 2026
