Guidelines for Understanding, Adjudicating, and Resolving Disputes in Elections dures outlined in the electoral code or regulations. Throughout this chapter, the term “competency” is used to refer to the skills, knowledge or attitudes which with participants should leave the training program. A training program not only needs to attempt to transfer competency, but should also include methods of determining if it has been effective. How else will trainers or election management bodies know if the training was successful? ii. Effective adult learning models should be utilized It is important to understand the target audience participating in the training program. Regardless of their backgrounds, participants will be adults with varying degrees of experience in the area of complaints adjudication. Given the time constraints that are likely to limit sessions, serious thought should be given to selecting the best training model that will allow participants to absorb a great deal of new information quickly. Long lectures should be abandoned and replaced with short presentations, combined with more active, experiential learning methods. iii. Creativity may be necessary to overcome limited resources One of the biggest challenges in developing an effective training program is usually the lack of resources. Reference materials are usually scarce, and reports detailing past cases or a country’s history with election complaints are often inaccessible or non-existent. This is where creativity will be necessary. It is difficult to make a definitive list of the materials that will be needed to conduct the training. In some countries, a training session may be held outdoors. In others, there will be more sophisticated technology available, such as PowerPoint presentations on projector screens. Probably the greatest resources that can be tapped in developing the concepts and contents of the training program are EMBs, relevant stakeholders and others who have experience instigating, hearing, investigating or adjudicating electoral complaints. iv. The use of real cases adds relevance Incorporating examples from actual cases will make training more real and more relevant to the participants even if they have to be disguised to protect the identity or privacy of the individuals involved. Use of actual cases will also give participants a marker with which to identify when they have to investigate or decide cases. They may also aid recollection of principles or skills imparted during training. 134