Project assistance completion report for the Senegal elections assistance project (685-0303)

A major voter education campaign was conducted. The project produced 5,000 large illustrated posters encouraging voting, 200,000 how-to-vote brochures and 16 how-to-vote audiocassettes, and 6 radio and 6 TV spots. All materials were produced in French and 6 local languages and made available through Senegal's 18 registered political parties. The project also helped to ensure secret balloting by providing ballot boxes, voting booths, voting booth curtains, and indelible ink. To exercise quality control and ensure political neutrality, USAID carried out all procurements for TA and commodities and contracted a local NGO, the Groupe Multimedia Sud-Communication (SUDCOM), to produce the radio and TV spots. However, due to the lack of private radio and TV stations, the TV and radio spots had to be aired by the Government of Senegal (GOS), whose commitment to the project was tenuous at best. As it turned out, the GOS aired the TV spots only 15-20 of the 300 times scheduled, and aired the radio spots fewer than 25 times and then in only two languages. Although the ballot boxes and voting booths were delivered to the GOS before the February presidential elections, they were not used until the May legislative elections. And, while there was no evidence (despite rumors) that the indelible ink had been tampered with, instructions for using it seem not to have been followed in all cases. A key lesson learned is that politically explosive projects are best implemented through a recognized, nonpartisan NGO; such an approach obviates any appearance or actuality of partiality on USAID's part. Also, the project would have benefited from a clearer initial agreement with the GOS, which lost interest in the project when it discovered it would not be permitted to control certain activities.