An Integrated Approach to Elections and Conflict   election phases, civic actors and political parties can gain key insights into their constituencies, in terms of conflict dynamics, voter education needs and constituents’ policy priorities. During the election and post-election period, conflict analysis should identify immediate threats to particular processes, such as political primaries, voter registration, movement of sensitive materials, polling station logistics, vote counting transportation and facilities or victory rallies. Overall, practitioners should work together to create a standard for ensuring conflict analysis is included in the design of electoral assistance programs. This standard should demand that (1) electoral assessments such as PETAs and legal/procedural reform explicitly include conflict assessment and (2) conflict analysis and risk assessment capacities are integrated into security planning and strategic planning exercises. In many countries, resources for analysis by all groups are limited. While this issue deserves to be the focus of its own paper to advocate for more funding attention, it is important to focus on what can be done with limited resources to move toward the standard noted above. In any effort to share analytical information, the EMB can serve as a natural central repository for information and for convening dialogues. Ideally, if stakeholders agree on an ICEP approach well in advance of the elections, consultative meetings could be held with increasing frequency during each phase of the electoral cycle to discuss conflict programming issues raised in this paper. Of course, in many countries, consultative bodies, donor coordination meetings or joint operation centers already exist. In these cases, improvement could be made in discussing ICEP as an explicit tool, which builds and maintains momentum and coordination on conflictsensitive electoral assistance. While no conflict analysis is ever exhaustive, when all the primary stakeholders do their own research and communicate results at each phase it can foster a deeper understanding of the dynamics that cause conflict in all parts of the electoral process. Conflict Prevention There is already much dedication and awareness of the need for electoral conflict prevention as seen in a variety of efforts by EMBs, local organizations and other institutions.8 However, challenges remain in systematically operationalizing many of the better practices that have been documented. This is particularly true in the emphasis placed on EMB credibility, cooperation, planning and training programs that are important for conflict prevention. EMB credibility is important for conflict prevention as it has great impact on what UNDP has termed the ability of electoral processes to withstand shocks to the system.9 That is, while efficient election administration should prevent conflict, it is not a guarantee. One of the factors that can affect conflict around elections is the degree to which political groups and the public trust the EMB. EMB credibility and transparency can go a long way toward ensuring peaceful elections, even in the face of irregularities or crises. This was the case in South Africa in 1994, when the actual polling process exhibited a number of irregularities and voters waited in extremely long queues, amidst other technical problems. However, the trust in the EMB and in the electoral process itself was extremely high. There was a great deal of political will to see the process through no matter the outcome. The irregularities and difficulties did not result in violence, although similar issues might have triggered conflict in other 8 9 8 Illustrative examples are noted in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Guide to Elections and Conflict. The Guide to Elections and Conflict notes the ability to withstand shocks to the system as a key to avoiding violence.