The ELF Regional Expert Networks programme builds on the outputs of the Regional Academy in Southeast Europe that created a regional framework for best practices exchange in party organisation, campaigning and communications in 2017. It brings together experts from different fields of political work to exchange experiences and best practices in a peer-to-peer learning environment.
Trainers and experts who implemented the programme were: Benjamin van Es, former campaign organizers and Danielle Brouwer, D66 Parliamentary Group Communication Officer.
On Friday, the event began with a round of introductions in which each participant presented their organization’s story and how its communicated to the public.
After a brief presentation of “theory” The programme of Saturday and Sunday consisted of a simulation training in which participants took on the role of communication officers of fictitious political parties from the county of Qumar.
Participants were divided into groups and asked to research their party’s story based on available information. Following this exercise, groups were confronted with polling research affecting their stories and asked to modify their story accordingly. At the end of the day and as a final exercise, groups were given newspaper clippings containing scandals and events affecting their party to which they needed to provide a response.
On Sunday, participants once again were divided into groups and asked to do a recap of their stories based on lessons learned during the weekend. On the final sessions, participants applied these lessons learned to their “real” organization’s stories.