1. Project: Monitoring the Local Elections of June 21, 2015, in Albania using the Statistical Based Observation Methodology
Pre-Election Day
CFFESD will deploy 90 trained independent observers to all 90 Electoral Administrative Zones (EAZs) to observe the pre-Election Day period starting on May 22, 2015, and concluding on the Election Day. During this period, our observers will monitor the work of electoral administration, campaigning by political parties and independent candidates as well as the potential use of public resources and abuse of public offices for electoral purposes. CFFESD will also closely monitor the implementation of legal requirements on voter lists, gender representation in the electoral administration as well as preparations to ensure accessibility of the Voting Centres. CFFESD's long-term observation methodology is based on international standards and allows campaign highlights to be captured but also to identify and document problems, if they occur.
Election Day
On the Election Day, CFFESD will incorporate statistical principles into the Election Day observation deployment plan methodology. CFFESD used the same observation methodology for the June 2013 parliamentary elections in the Tirana district. The methodology, commonly referred to as statistically based observation or SBO, is a powerful tool that will allow CFFESD to confidently and systematically assess the quality of the Election Day processes (opening, voting, and closing of Voting Centers) throughout Albania.
CFFESD will deploy 500 stationary observers to a random representative sample of voting centers throughout Albania and will deploy an additional 500 observers to observe competitive mayoral races with the same statistical logic described above. Observers will be present the voting centers for the entire day from the opening to the handover of the materials to Commissions of Electoral Administrative Zones (CEAZs). Given that counting is not done at the voting centers, CFFESD will not be projecting results. However, CFFESD will have accurate information about quality of the Election Day process and voter turnout. The confidence level of the SBO is 95%, which statisticians accept as standard, so Albanians should have a high confidence in CFFESD's findings. The margin of error will be determined once all of CFFESD's data is received but is expected to be between 3 and 5 percent.
Post Election Day
Following Election Day processes, CFFESD will deploy observers to all the counting centres throughout the country, to be able to access the quality of the counting process as well. CFFESD observers will monitor the entire counting process starting from the reception of the materials from the CEAZ to the tabulation of the results. The CFFESD will not monitor the process of transporting the ballot boxes from the Voting Center to Counting Center.
Communication with the Public
CFFESD observers will be trained by CFFESD staff to observe the pre-electoral period, Election Day and the counting and tabulation of results. Observers use a standardized form to record their observations, which are then transmitted to CFFESD's communications center in Tirana. Each observation is entered into a specially designed database that allows CFFESD to easily aggregate and analyze the data. As data is analyzed, CFFESD will be issuing statements throughout pre-election period, on the Election Day and following the counting process to share important findings with the public and election stakeholders on the quality of the electoral procedures and potential violations.
CFFESD will publish reports based on the findings of its observers during the pre-election process, including a preliminary report before the Election Day. On June 19, 2015, CFFESD will organize a simulation of Election Day in its headquarters, to test the mechanism of collecting and receiving the data from observers. The simulation day will include all the observers that will be deployed on the Election Day through the sample units all over Albania and the communication operators at the headquarters. CFFESD will publish at least two press releases on the Election Day, while the first post-election day report will be released on June 22, 2015. The final report will be released soon after the official publication of the results.
All information will be posted in real time on the website of the Coalition www.kzln.org.al and its social networks.
2. Project: Survey on Health Centers in Albania
Donor: USAID through Assist Impact
Implementation period: July 2014 – 31 March 2015
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The Coalition for Free and Fair Election and Sustainable Democracy (CFFESD) will incorporate statistical observation principles already applied for June 2013 parliamentary election for monitoring of performances of health-centers throughout the Albania. Methodology CFFESD will apply for health-centers research will not fundamentally differ from the methodology used for elections monitoring (commonly known as Statistically Based Observation – SBO) which is powerful tool that will allow organization to confidently and systematically assess the performances of health-centers, their satellites and compare those services provided by both, heath-centers and their satellites.
How it will work?
CFFESD will deploy 550 stationary monitors on the representative sample of health-centers and their satellites throughout Albania. Observers will be present at the deployed location for the entire day during the working hours of the health-center and/or satellite and will collect relevant information that will allow CFFESD to evaluate the performances of the health-centers and satellites. Day of the observation will be during October, 2014.
By deploying observers to a representative, random sample of health-centers and their satellites, CFFESD can make a precise assessment of their performances and because observation units will be selected based on the statistical principles findings will be extrapolated to all health centers and their satellites throughout the country.
What Sort Of Information Is Collected?
CFFESD observers will be trained by CFFESD senior staff and will be fully prepared to observe critical aspects of the health-centers and satellites performances and collect relevant information that will allow CFFESD headquarter to draw conclusions and recommendations to the Ministry of Health for the improvement of the medical services. Similar to elections monitoring, observers will use a standardized form to record their observations, which are then transmitted to CFFESD's communications center in Tirana. Each observation is entered into a specially designed database that allows CFFESD to easily aggregate and analyze the data. As data is analyzed, CFFE will be issue statement sharing important findings with the public and other stakeholders.
How Confident is CFFESD in the methodology?
The confidence level of the methodology applied for health-centers research is 95% and is the same as for Elections Monitoring SBO, which is a very high level. A 95% level of confidence is accepted by statisticians across the world as an acceptable standard, so Albanians should have a high confidence in CFFESD's findings. Based on the theory of large numbers and central limit theorem, as fundamentals for sampling, observing health-centers and their branches on random and representative sample will allow CFFESD to extrapolate collected information to all health-centers in Albania. The margin of error will be determined once all of CFFESD's data is received but is expected to be up to 3.5%.
Donors
Project is supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through Assist Impact.
All relevant information about the progress of the project and outcomes of the research will be available on our:
www.kzln.org.al,
FB page: Koalicioni pwr Zgjedhje te Lira e te Ndershme
Twitter account: KZLN_CFFE
For any further information please contact:
Mirela Arqimandriti
Team Leader, The project " Survey on Health Centres in Albania"
Executive Director of GADC, partner organization of CFFESD
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: 00355682059301
Erjona Mulellari
Project Coordinator
Executive Director, CFFESD
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: 00355684046777
Address: Rr."Abdyl Frasheri", P.10/1, shk.1, ap.3,
Tirana, Albania
3. Project: 2013 Parliamentary Elections -Statistically Based Observation in the Qark of Tirana
Statistically Based Observation Fact Sheet
The Coalition for Free and Fair Election (CFFE) will incorporate statistical principles into their observation methodology for the June 2013 parliamentary elections in the Tirana district. The methodology, commonly referred to as statistically based observation or SBO, is a powerful tool that will allow CFFE to confidently and systematically assess the voting process. CFFE will deploy 350 stationary observers and 20 mobile observers in the district of Tirana. The Coalition will also deploy observers to all 18 Vote Counting Centers in the Tirana district.
How Does a SBO Work?
CFFE volunteer observers will be deployed to a representative, random sample of voting centers in the district of Tirana. By deploying observers to a representative, random sample, CFFE can focus on the quality of observation over quantity of Voting Centers covered and make a precise assessment of the voting process that is backed by statistical principles. Because it is based on a representative random sample the findings from the SBO can be extrapolated to the entire district. This will be the first time that domestic observation groups will be use statistical principles in their observation.
Coalition for Free and Fair Elections Tirana Deployment Map
What Sort Of Information Is Collected?
After undergoing thorough training conducted by senior CFFE staff, CFFE observers will observe critical aspects of the voting process. Observers use a standardized form to record their observations, which are then transmitted to CFFE's communications center in Tirana. Each observation is entered into a specially designed database that allows CFFE to easily aggregate and analyze the data.
As data is analyzed, CFFE will be issuing interim and final statements throughout Election Day to share important findings with the public and election stakeholders. CFFE's election day reports supplement CFFE's pre-election reports that can be found on CFFE's website.
Has SBO Methodology been used in other countries?
SBO is a widely accepted technique for observing elections. It was first used by domestic observer groups in the Philippines and has been used in countries such as: Croatia, Georgia, Serbia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Montenegro and Ukraine.
How Confident is CFFE in the SBO?
The confidence level of the SBO is 95%, which is a very high level. A 95% level of confidence is accepted by statisticians across the world as an acceptable standard, so Albanians should have a high confidence in CFFE's findings.
The SBO will also have a margin of error that is determined by the sample size. The margin of error will be determined once all of CFFE's data is received but is expected to be between 3 to 5 percent.
Will CFFE be Projecting Results?
No. CFFE will only be using the SBO to assess the voting process in the Tirana District and will not be making a prediction about the final results. Votes will be counted at Vote Counting Centers. CFFE will deploy observers to all 18 Ballot Counting Centers to assess and report on the counting process in the district of Tirana.