In Koundoul, about 25 km from N’Djamena, EISA successfully concluded a BRIDGE Facilitators’ Training (TtF) workshop. This initiative aligns with one of EISA’s key strategic objectives in the post-electoral period: strengthening the capacities of civil society organizations and democratic support institutions to better prepare them for future electoral cycles.
As polling stations for the senatorial elections closed on the evening of February 25, 2025, marking the end of the current electoral cycle and the conclusion of Chad’s political transition, EISA seized the opportunity to launch a BRIDGE workshop from February 26 to March 7, 2025. This training aimed to establish a network of 20 BRIDGE facilitators (TtF Complete).
BRIDGE, which stands for Building Resources in Democracy, Governance, and Elections, is an internationally recognized professional development program focused on electoral processes. Developed by the Australian Electoral Commission, International IDEA, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD), BRIDGE offers a structured accreditation pathway, allowing participants to progress from TtF complete to workshop facilitator, and eventually to accrediting facilitator.
Led by the Accrediting Facilitor Joachim Baggnan (Burkina Faso), supported by Workshop Facilitators Pierre Kadi Sossou (Canada), Grace Issele (Chad), Laurent Hibra Doumla (Chad), and Justin Doua Goré (Côte d’Ivoire), the workshop targeted key democratic support institutions, including the National Agency for Election Management (ANGE), the Constitutional Council, the High Authority for Media and Audiovisual (HAMA), the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), and the Permanent Secretariat of NGOs and Humanitarian Affairs (SPONGAH). It also brought together representatives from civil society and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Having taken this decisive first step, participants will now be able to co-facilitate training sessions under the supervision of accrediting facilitators to continue their accreditation journey.
Having taken this decisive first step, participants will now be able to co-facilitate training sessions under the supervision of accrediting facilitators to continue their accreditation journey.
The workshop stood out for its strong commitment to gender equality and diversity. Notably, it was one of the rare BRIDGE trainings where gender parity was meticulously observed, with an equal balance of 10 women and 10 men. The group also included a mix of seasoned professionals and young participants, as well as representatives of specific groups, including a person with a disability and an Arabic speaker who successfully integrated into a predominantly French-speaking environment.
These sessions not only enhanced the electoral monitoring skills of civil society actors but also helped several semi-accredited facilitators complete their accreditation
This cohort represents the second wave of facilitators trained by EISA in Chad. Among the first group of 24 facilitators trained in 2023, six have already achieved full accreditation. In November 2024, EISA, in partnership with International IDEA, organized a series of BRIDGE workshops on Election Observation and Mediation. These sessions not only enhanced the electoral monitoring skills of civil society actors but also helped several semi-accredited facilitators complete their accreditation. EISA plans to build on this momentum by collaborating with UNDP, a BRIDGE partner, to support more facilitators in achieving full accreditation.
All participants who have earned their first rank in the BRIDGE family leave this training with a strengthened vision and greater determination to continue the journey. In the “BRIDGE in an Elevator” game, where they had one minute to convince a potential sponsor or partner of BRIDGE’s importance, they emphasized the concrete benefits and positive impact BRIDGE can have on both career growth and personal development. Here are a few examples:
In a context shaped by decentralization, Chad requires strong expertise in electoral governance. Through this BRIDGE training, EISA is committed to the sustainable capacity-building of democratic support institutions, civil society, and key government services. This initiative contributes to the establishment of a national pool of qualified trainers capable of supporting the consolidation of democracy and the promotion of human rights in Chad, as the country prepares for future electoral milestones.
This blog post was made possible thanks to financial support from the European Union under grant agreement No. NDICI AFRICA/2022/435-927. The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EU.
