About MECS

Project data

Budget

US$ 11,813,966

Team

Duration

17/09/07 - 19/12/31

Sources of funding

European Union: US$ 3,944,500
DFID: US$ 3,247,545
Ireland: US$ 614,154
UNDP: US$ 1,750,000
Norway: US$ 1,257,767
USAID: US$ 1,000,000

Partners

MEC - Malawi Electoral Commission
CMD - Center for Multiparty Democracy
UN Women

Our main objective

The project contributes directly to the SDG 16 of ensuring responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

The primary goal of the project is to assist in Malawi’s consensual development of procedural certainty among key electoral stakeholders. This goal arises against the backdrop of a unique opportunity for transformation that has arisen from electoral and political reform processes.

What we do

The project is structured around four outputs:

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is trusted by the public and political parties as an impartial entity possessing the capacity to administer and manage elections in accordance with regional and international obligations;
Women’s political empowerment throughout the electoral cycle is strengthened;
Enhanced ability of key stakeholders, including political parties, to contribute to orderly and inclusive elections; and
Effective and efficient management, partnership formation and monitoring and evaluation of the Project.

In contrast to past efforts, the scope of the project’s outputs emphasizes a broader conceptual approach toward engaging key actors in fostering democratic development in Malawi.

This methodological shift reflects an appreciation for the anticipated challenges likely to arise for the elections in 2019 and draws from the experience of past processes and, among others, is aimed at strengthening the capacity of MEC to address the multi-dimensional challenges of election administration.

As such, in addition to the support to the MEC, the project will support identified key stakeholders whose work directly impacts on the conditions conducive for credible and genuine elections.

In substance, this multifaceted approach will seek to enhance the engagement of the MEC in managing the electoral process by engendering higher levels of capacity, engagement and ownership among influential stakeholders in the electoral process, and thereby, furthering the acceptance of outcomes.

Equally, the coordination of these efforts through a single project will ensure strengthened horizontal dialogue among stakeholders and commensurately improve the coherency, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of national and international efforts to support Malawi’s electoral process and democratic development.

The expected core outcomes of the project will be:

The MEC is trusted as an impartial entity with the capacity to credibly administer and manage elections in accordance with its national and international obligations.
Women’s political empowerment throughout the electoral cycle is strengthened.
The Centre for Multiparty Democracy will be capacitated to improve the ability of political parties to contribute to orderly elections and to campaign around essential national issues.

Who we are

Contact

MECS focal point

richard.cox@undp.org

For any inquiries please contact
Richard Cox
Chief technical advisor