International Development Grant
Western Hemisphere Electoral Assistance - Phase II
Project Number: CA-3-A034062010
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $975,000.00
Start Date: June 26, 2012
End Date: June 28, 2013
Duration: 1.0 years
Project Description
This project aims to support efforts by the Organization of American States (OAS) to build stronger more efficient and transparent electoral processes and democratic institutions in the Americas. To this end it strengthens the OAS’ capacity in the area of electoral support and provides funding to the OAS’ Electoral Observation Fund. This increases the organization’s ability to rapidly respond to requests for election observation and ensures that its election observation missions are professional and based on a sound methodology. The project is part of the Multilateral Election Observation Program. This Program uses a whole-of-government approach for Canadian support to multilateral election observation in developing countries. Its main objective is to assist developing countries in their objective to hold democratic elections in line with national and international election standards. Support for election observation contributes to strengthening the electoral process in developing countries.
Expected Results
The Organization of American States (OAS) will observe elections in its member states. The OAS will publish election observation reports for every election it observes. These will provide judgment on whether the elections were truly a reflection of the democratic will of a country’s citizen. These reports will help enhance the integrity of electoral processes by deterring and exposing irregularities. They will also help strengthen national electoral processes by providing recommendations for improvement. The OAS will implement new election observation methodologies to better monitor the participation of women in electoral processes in the Americas. It will recommend ways for national authorities to provide greater and more equal opportunities for women to participate in elections in all capacities: as candidates voters observers reporters etc.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of the end of the project (december 2013) include: The Organisation of American States (OAS) has deployed six Electoral Observation Missions in five OAS member states in Latin America: Ecuador Honduras Mexico Nicaragua and Paraguay. In total 21 Canadian electoral observers were deployed during these missions. During the course of this project electoral observation missions have become more rigorous and evidence-based due to the incorporation of gender perspective and the ongoing development of methodologies to observe the use of electoral technology media and systems of electoral and political financing. The development of some of the methodologies and tools implemented (such as the manual for incorporating a Gender Perspective into OAS Electoral Observation Missions and the manual on Observing Political-Electoral Financing Systems) was initiated in a previous phase of the project Electoral Assistance for the Americas (A034062002). The OAS has institutionalised these methodologies which are now standard practice in electoral observation missions. As a result these allow the OAS to expand its focus of observation and electoral observation mission reports reflect a more comprehensive analysis of the electoral process. Furthermore the application of these specialised methodologies allowed the OAS to issue more specific and targeted recommendations in its electoral observation mission’s final reports which have exerted significant impact on electoral systems in the region. For example the decision of the National Electoral Council of Ecuador in June 2013 to implement a quality electoral management system and pursue certification under the new ISO electoral standard was motivated in part by the recommendations of the 2013 OAS electoral observation mission report which aimed to strengthen institutional planning and bolster the capacity of electoral staff. Finally these results have contributed to an increased demand among member sta
Key Information
Executing Agency:
OAS - Organization of American States
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
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Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Contributions to specific-purpose programmes and funds managed by implementing partners
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP