ComET Communication Plan for Election Tracking

Communication Plan A Perfect Communication Plan is an essential component of an effective Election Management System. It enables micro-management of elections, concurrent tracking and evaluation of issues and mid-course corrections. It helps the ‘perception management’ and creates a huge ‘psychological presence’ It helps the prioritization for intervention. It builds confidence.

Communication Plan CP minimizes the response time. Enhances Transparency. As the free and fair elections is not only an end product but, a process in itself, effective information management energizes the process at every level. Piloting during recent general elections (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan) proved the efficacy of the concept. ComET seeks to upscale the plan for a country – wide application during GE 2009

What is ComET ComET is SEARCH enabled Database of Polling Station level communication contact points for focused tracking on the poll day. The Plan operates through a well structured multi-layer Communication Teams (CTs) – ARO (Assembly segment level), –DEO (District Level) –CEO (State Level) –ECI (National Level ) –Communication Teams will have clear demarcation of geographical areas and communication-related responsibilities geared to quick crisis resolution and grievance monitoring and information flow.

ComET - How it works? The ECI has issued circulars on communication plan which are available on the front page of the Commission’s website Communication Plan circular 1 Dated 28th March,’09 puts forth: Format 1 – for Polling Station level CP Format 2A – for ARO (Assembly segment) level Communication Team; groups of 10 to 25 Polling Stations to be assigned to 1 member of ARO level Communication Team. Format 2B – for DEO (District) level Communication Team; each AC to be given to 2 or more persons in the Communication Team. Format 2C – for CEO (State) level Communication Team; each PC/ District to be given to 2 or more persons in the Communication Team.

ComET - How it works? The Election Commission of India has established a well equipped Control Room for the purpose of running the Communication Plan on the poll days. The Communication Teams at ECI Head Quarters will track Poll Day events through State Level, District Level, AC level and at the Polling Station level. OK reports and ‘comfort messages’ will be obtained on pre- identified issues and events. Significant events at any locations will be monitored in a focused manner.

ComET - Is about Team Work Every member of the Communication Team at each tier, and the Polling Station level Communication Plan must know all contact numbers and other details of all the persons associated with him in related higher and lower tiers. Every body in the Communication Plan setup must be clear as to “WHO IS TO TALK TO WHOM, AND HOW”. Communication will be professional, focused, within the ‘time frame’ given for tracking specific mile-stone feed-backs. No extra word will be spoken. It is not a free-for all, causal communication plan. It is about getting the correct information from the correct location by the correct persons to be passed on to the correct persons in a correct manner in correct time.

CEO ECI CEO DEO …… … DEO …… … ARO Zone/Sector ………. Polling Stations …………… Level 1 Level 4 Level 5 Organizational Tree for the Communication Plan Zone/Sector Level 2 Level 3

ComET- The Logistics The Team Members of ARO, DEO and CEO level Communication Teams should be given adequate Landline phone connections Mobile phone connections Fax lines connections with computers/ printers ( If the ARO, DEO and CEO level Communication Team, as well as the contacts in the Polling Station level CP, use their personal mobiles/ resources for the purpose of running the CP on the day of the poll or during dry runs/ rehearsals, they should be suitably reimbursed for the expense they incur in this regard by the CEO office. )

ComET- Deadlines All Polling Station CP information was to be manually collected in handwriting in copies of Format 1 at DEO levels by 2 nd April, All information in Formats 2A, 2B, 2C was to be sent on the addresses and latest by 6 th April, 2009.

ComET- Deadlines All data entries of Format 1 on the URL to be completed in a staggered manner phase wise as follows: Phase NumberOriginal T/LRevised T/L Phase 16 April, April, 2009 Phase 28 April, April, 2009 Phase 310 April, April, 2009 Phase 413 April, April, 2009 Phase 515 April, April, 2009

ComET- The Access In order to facilitate faster data entry in the web form for Format 1: A number of NIC servers across the country have been made available for hosting this application and database. CEOs can ask their SIO of NIC to explore the possibility of hosting their states’ databases (along with the application) at the state level. Phase-wise, PC-wise PDFs of Polling Station wise CP data with SEARCH option are being prepared at the ECI. ECI shall attempt to make available to CEOs PC-wise PDFs for every phase, which the CEOs can further provide to the ROs/ DEOs in their states. SIOs of NIC can on parallel basis explore the possibility of doing the same in their states. (For data entry the application has been written with SQL back-end and ASP front-end).

ComET- The Access Analysis and Report options are disabled from time to time for the state/ district levels (in order to reduce the load arising from such queries on servers). CEOs are requested to collect daily District-wise progress of data entry of Polling Station CP on the web-form through direct information gathering and inform the ECI of the same.

MOCK-RUNS / REHEARSALS OBJECTIVE To make every person, who is a part of the CP set-up - at the PS, ARO, DEO/ RO, CEO, ECI levels –have hands-on awareness, knowledge and practise about his role and responsibilities in the CP. SCHEDULE Phase Number1 st Mock-Run2 nd Mock-Run Phase 113 April, April, 2009 Phase 218 April, April, 2009 Phase 325 April, April, 2009 Phase 42 May, May, 2009 Phase 59 May, May, 2009 [TIME: 2 PM to 4 PM]

ComET: Precautions Keep conversation brief and to-the-point to keep the communication channels free from being jammed and congested. Ensure constant contacts with service provider and ensure the net- works are in good health. Ensure that every person in the hierarchy, who is a part of the CP, is fully supplied with all the contact numbers and other details of all the related persons above and below him in the CP hierarchy. Try and keep separate phone lines for incoming and outgoing phone calls, where ever possible.

ComET: Poll Day Priorities Poll day Collection of Information about … Conduct of mock-poll and mock-poll certificate Presence and absence of polling agents (specially during mock-poll) EVM malfunctioning and replacement-time Tracking of voting by voters from pre-identified vulnerable locations Percentage polling from time to time Use of EPIC and other identification documents Significant events at polling stations if any And other reports which must be made available in Time–Limits. For the Poll day, Do … Ensure that coverage of mobiles, telephones etc gets maximized. Enlist and ensure co-operation from individuals whose telephone numbers have been incorporated in CP with their consent.

ComET: The Scope The efficacy of this Communication Plan actually depends on how many focused calls made by Communication Teams on the poll day at every level. It is not about how many calls will be made from New Delhi but about how many calls are made to polling stations by AC/ DEO/ CEO teams. Except for random verifications, the tracking protocol should be adhered to. But, random contacts from any level to any level is a MUST.

ComET: Let us take the Call. We Promise to Make Calls from National Control Room to Polling Stations across the country, the CEOs control rooms, DEO control rooms and AC control rooms. The Commission expects that every body who is part of this CP, anticipates the Call and he TAKES THE CALL. Let us TAKE THE CALL. THIS is THE CALL that WE WON’T MISS.

THANKS