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This programmatic option describes support to (the set-up of) a Situation Room (SR) which, when used in electoral contexts, monitors real-time reports, analyzes data, and coordinates responses to risks and incidents of violence and conflict, ensuring timely decision-making and action in high-pressure environments. The SR model is often active during the pre-election period but intensifies activities around election day and the immediate post-election period. The programmatic option further describes the implementation of a Women’s Situation Room as one of its sub-categories.
The Situation Room (SR) engages, trains and lobbies key stakeholders (EMBs, media, CSOs, political parties and State institutions) to commit to promoting peaceful elections. Through the monitoring and reporting of any incidents, the SR seeks to provide conflict resolution services that reduce tensions and mediate disputes before they escalate.
The SR model is often active during the pre-election period but intensifies activities around election day and the immediate post-election period.
The SR model is often structured around four action components to allow efficient mobilization, monitoring and mediation:
A SR secretariat is usually centrally located in the Capital to facilitate advocacy, awareness-raising and promotion.
Situation rooms rely on relationships between election stakeholders including political parties, election authorities, government institutions, media, civil society, police and other security agencies in order to verify information as well as to address concerns.
Situation rooms can provide a forum for a coordinated rapid civil society response to unfounded rumours and other concerns during the elections, which may act as a trigger for violence. Where civil sociey led, situation rooms have been typically set up by a coalition of CSOs or experts that focus on collecting, verifying, analyzing and communicating instances of electoral violence and other violations, in order to prevent further escalation of tensions. While situation rooms typically have strong ties with citizen election observer groups, who provide them with updated information, some also track incidents in the media and receive crowd-sourced reports from citizens through hotlines, which it then attempts to verify.
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The situation room :
The Women’s Situation Room :
The Women’s Situation Room (WSR) is a dedicated mechanism to address the issue of violence against women in the election process, as well as other violent incidents and threats to peace. The WSR model relies on a core of eminent women with a strong network across State institutions to carry out advocacy. The WSR model also draws on high-profile female personalities from outside the country to support and promote their activities at key junc
Use various communication channels to provide regular updates on the platform’s activities to the public and involved parties, where considered relevant. Given that information gathered by the SR may be sensitive in nature, use multiple formats to reach diverse audiences, such as TV, official media, community meetings, local radio broadcasts, and digital channels. Clear and accessible communication raises community awareness about the SR and its role in ensuring a peaceful environment.
As a conflict prevention mechanism and early response tool, awareness raising around it may prove valuable to build trust in democratic processes. Concretely communication should be :
Key Stakeholders to involve may depend on the nature and extent of the system, and who is engaged. The following may be involved:
Coordination Strategies may be initiated based on an actor mapping (see programmatic option). Collaborative planning may be one of the subjects during the training to fa
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Difficulty to assess the independence and neutrality of the coordination mechanisms of the WSR on which its credibility can heavily depend.
The composition of representatives into the SR model, if not implemented as a registered organization, may pose difficulties in some cases to seek accreditation as election observers with the election authority. A special exemption may need to be sought in some cases.
The advocacy and mediation and observer components of the SR depends on the ability to build relationships and networks with existing actors (the election authority, political parties, etc.) and to identify and train observers and monitors. The initiation of a SR should start early in the election process to facilitate these activities.
During the 2015 general elections, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room played an important role as a coordination mechanism for gathering high-level civil society leaders around one table, which could provide leverage for mediation where needed. The Situation Room liaised regularly with the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), and was able to help it to pass messages that required public trust, such as the postponement of elections due to the security situation in some parts of the country. Convened by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), the Situation Room now comprises over 70 CSOs and is active during national, state-level and by-elections, as well as on an ongoing basis to promote an active, coordinated civil society approach.
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