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European Commission  The Commission’s EC Methodological Guide on Electoral Assistance  is part of the ongoing effort to place electoral assistance more firmly within the framework of democratic development and to become a pillar of the support to governance. The Guide develops the strategic operational framework in the field of electoral assistance, in order to rationalize and make Commission interventions more homogeneous, effective and in harmony with overall EU objectives. This Guide was prepared to offer all Commission staff and others whose work requires specific knowledge of particular EU electoral assistance issues a tool to assist them with the policy and strategic framework in this area, issues and entry points for activities, as well as resources for their formulation and implementation. The latest version of the EC Methdological Guide was published in 2008. The book is available also in French and Spanish.
 A Handbook for EU Election Observation Missions: Democracy is not just about elections, but genuine elections are a necessary condition for democracy. EUEOMs have the task of observing and reporting on an election process in its entirety, enhancing transparency and providing an impartial assessment. This handbook is intended as a tool and a reference book with methodological guidelines and practical recommendations.   
 2nd Edition of the Handbook for EU Election Observation:This second edition has been thoroughly revised to take into account advances in the European Union’s methodology for observing and assessing an election process. It highlights that the European Union approach is based on international human rights standards, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The handbook also underlines that EU EOMs adhere to the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, a landmark document commemorated at the United Nations in 2005. The handbook explains the criteria used in deciding whether to observe an election, the steps taken to establish an EOM, and how a mission functions.
EU EOM Reporting guidelines  The Work of Domestic Election Observer Groups Around the World: Civil society is a vitally important outlet for democratic activity and civil society groups are central partners in the promotion and defence of democratic development – from Latin America to Asia and from Europe to Africa. The aim of this publication is to highlight the work done by domestic election observers around the world, in terms of their scrutiny of the electoral process and their support for increased transparency and accountability in the political processes in their respective countries.  Compendium of International Standards for Elections: This compendium aims to assist EU Election Observation Missions and other interested stakeholders in clearly identifying the international standards to use in assessing the conduct of elections. To facilitate such assessment, a practical guide has been included as an annex. It is the Commission’s expectation that EU Election Observation Missions will make use of this new tool to assess the conduct of elections in line with international standards and ensure coherence among EU Election Observation Missions. United Nations Development Programme  Electoral assistance is about more than supporting an election event. Ideally, such support should be embedded in a democratic governance strategy and provided throughout the ‘electoral cycle’. UNDP has launched a new publication: the UNDP Electoral Assistance Implementation Guide providing the ‘how to’ fundamentals of planning and implementing electoral assistance using the concept of the electoral cycle, as well as specific guidance on project design, resources, partnerships, procurement, evaluation and other areas. Whilst this is designed as a guide for UNDP staff, others can learn from UNDP’s approach and access a wealth of resources on planning, formulating, implementing and monitoring electoral assistance.
 Elections and Conflict Prevention: A Guide to Analysis, Planning, and Programming: This Guide is intended for practitioners in the field of governance and electoral assistance, and provides readers with practical options and tools for programming design, early warning and conflict tracking. It presents valuable lessons learned from the previous, extensive experience of UNDP and its partner organizations in the field. The information provided in the Guide reflects UNDP best practice as it relates to the broader framework for UN engagement in electoral assistance. The Guide draws on seven detailed country case studies (Bangladesh, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone), as well as many other country experiences described throughout the text.
Note of Guidance on Electoral Assistance The Note of Guidance, issued jointly on 17 January 2001 by UNDPA and UNDP, provides the background for the UN’s efforts in providing electoral assistance. It describes the roles of different UN organs in delivering assistance, the types of assistance the UN can provide, and the preconditions required for electoral assistance. Also in French UNDP and Electoral Systems and Processes This "fast facts" brochure outlines the key points of UNDP's electoral systems and processes activities, addressing both regional and thematic efforts. Reference documentation and additional information on subjects addressed. Links are provided to other useful websites.  Getting to the CORE: A Global Survey on the Cost of Registration and Elections
Produced by the UNDP and IFES, this step-by-step guide to election processes around the world explains what measures need to be in place, from voter registration to ballot-box security, and at what price, before the first ballot is cast. This study is intended to expand upon and complement research into election budgeting and financing issues that were discussed in Electoral Management Bodies as Institutions of Governance, published by UNDP.  Electoral Management Bodies as Institutions of Governance This paper focuses on the institutional dimensions of strengthening electoral systems and grapples with issues related to electoral management bodies as institutions of governance. Through a taxonomy that classifies 148 countries according to the type of electoral administration, it argues that electoral management bodies worldwide are increasingly both permanent and independent of the executive branch of government and that this type of institutional structure proves more cost-effective than ad-hoc or temporary electoral bodies. Special attention is placed on the role and challenges of electoral management bodies in "third wave" democracies vis-à-vis the experience in older and more established democracies. ESSENTIALS: Electoral Assistance The ESSENTIALS series, published by UNDP's Evaluation office, is designed to provide UNDP country offices and headquarters easy access to lessons learned from evaluations. This issue summarizes and synthesizes lessons learned and suggestions made by UNDP and other development agencies in the area of electoral assistance. Also available in Spanish and French UNDP and Electoral Assistance: 10 Years of Experience The UNDP Electoral Support Retrospective was initiated in 2001 to prepare a comprehensive set of electoral assistance lessons learned and recommendations for UNDP country offices. The project was also designed to suggest practical strategies for UNDP Resident Representatives / UN Resident Coordinators and country office staff in the areas of electoral assistance planning and programme execution.  A Handbook on Working With Political Parties Political parties are a keystone of democratic governance. They provide a structure for political participation; serve as a training ground for political leadership; and transform social interests into public policy. The question for development practitioners is how best to work with political parties in addressing the challenges they face. UNDP’s Democratic Governance Group has created A Handbook on Working with Political Parties to help our field offices and partners to address questions regarding assistance to political parties.
 UNDP's Engagement with Political Parties Intended for UNDP democratic governance practitioners, this report analyses and summarizes a mapping of UNDP's engagement with political parties that was conducted in October 2003 and updated in May 2005. The information contained in the mapping is indicative rather than exhaustive and reflects the various ways UNDP Country Offices are currently working and engaging with political parties. The mapping will serve as a key reference for informing the development of UNDP’s corporate policies and practices concerning political parties.  A Guide to civil Society Organizations Working on Democratic Governance The Guide, from the Oslo Governance Centre, offers a snapshot of more than 300 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on democratic governance at the global and regional levels. It provides information on CSOs across UNDP’s seven priority democratic governance areas or Service Lines.  The Gender Team, BDP and the Democratic Governance Group, BDP recently published the first three papers in a new series on gender and democratic governance issues called “Primers in Gender and Democratic Governance”. These papers were produced with funds from the Gender Thematic Trust Fund, which were generously made available to the Gender Team, BDP, by the Government of the Netherlands. There will be five papers in the series, covering the major clusters of work of the Democratic Governance Group: Justice and Human Rights, Electoral Systems and Processes, E-Governance and Access to Information, and Anti-Corruption. The papers are framed by the human-rights approach to development, which now informs the work of the UN development system. The purpose of the primers is to provide UNDP policy advisors and programme staff working on democratic governance with: Information on the key gender issues in the different areas of democratic governance, An overview of UNDP’s track record in integrating gender into the various areas of democratic governance programming, and Guidelines and entry points for supporting women’s increased access to and enjoyment of democratic political systems, including access to political office, justice and legal protection, and e-governance and access to information. A specific primer dedicated to electoral assistance is Electoral Financing to Advance Women’s Political Participation: A Guide for UNDP Support.
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HANDBOOKS & PUBLICATIONS 
