Introduction: Section 1

Political Process Monitoring Defined

Political process monitoring involves a methodical effort to track the actions of government actors or institutions and objectively assess alignment with established democratic principles, obligations, commitments or standards. Typically, political process monitoring initiatives gather and track information over an extended period of time to draw trends, gauge progress, and elucidate findings and recommendations.

The Purpose of Political Process Monitoring

Political process monitoring can be used to promote more open and accountable government, improve government performance and increase citizen engagement. By systematically gathering information on political processes, such as campaigning for elected office, public budgeting and procurement, lawmaking, or follow-through on policy implementation, civil society organizations and activists can offer assessments, provide data-driven recommendations, and lay the foundation for greater citizen influence over political processes and outcomes. Political process monitoring can raise public awareness of governance issues and fuel broader organizing efforts to influence government behavior. For example, political process monitoring can serve as an integral tactic used by those advocating for public-sector reforms or improved service delivery. Although some CSOs might concentrate only on conducting monitoring activities, many organizations and activists treat monitoring as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. Typically, monitoring initiatives open up other opportunities and entry points to create change through further, sustained action. In this respect, it is important to determine how different forms of political process monitoring fit within the broader civic organizing and activism ecosystem, and how monitoring may complement other efforts.

Political Process Monitoring Model

There is no “one size fits all” model for political process monitoring initiatives. Countries have different systems, structures, legal frameworks and political norms, as well as different democratic histories. Therefore, monitoring strategies, techniques and timelines need to be tailored to local contexts and the identified governance gaps, with a realistic sense of the political circumstances. There are a number of key considerations and steps that surround each type of political process monitoring listed below. For instance, there will always be a need to determine if monitors have access to the respective political process or to requisite information that would allow for a fair assessment of the process. Likewise, all forms of monitoring require the development of objective metrics that can be used in the assessment. These could include anything from whether a parliamentarian regularly attends plenary sessions to whether a public procurement process resulted in multiple competitive bids. Monitoring groups also need to share the metrics and present the purpose of their monitoring, as a means to build credibility and create appropriate public expectations. In this regard, monitoring groups should strive to build working relationships with politicians and government officials, so that monitoring is viewed as a constructive contribution to democratic functioning and a legitimate activity for civil society.