A FUNCTIONAL 4-YEAR LOGISTICS PREPARATIONS STRATEGIC PLAN FOR CONTINUING CYCLES OF NIGERIA’S NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTIONS
The Nigerian General
Elections have come and gone. Tensions have risen and fallen. In our typical
way, after all the postponement heartbreaks, lamentations and logistics hitches;
Nigerians will all go to sleep again till the next general elections. Such, the
usual sleep and slumber that will surely guarantee with a high assurance that,
the national elections logistics quagmire will likely still continue, in its
vicious cycle; in whichever ramification.
Same way, they went to
sleep in the last two (2) election editions. Same way they go to sleep after
not performing at the Olympics and expect magic during the next edition.
Nigerians must start
election logistics preparations for the next elections immediately. They must re-start
another 4-year long preparations cycle earnestly!
My interest really on
the subject matter is on own little contribution to help ensure only very
minimal logistics hitch for subsequent efforts. Thus, avoiding a repeat of
elections postponement; ‘based on logistics’.
Quite simple:
- Draw up a 4-year long
strategic plan. Give more focus to professional Project and Logistics Managers
to plan and execute it through its various stages. Craft the plan as simple as
possible and scribble into a working document for others to see and implement.
Set up a ‘BIG Picture Room’ to see the whole plan on a big wall. The network
breakdown/analysis of how all the parts of the elections logistics body (major
and minor activities/landmarks achievements) are linked together to function at
proposed time within the timeline. Show, in the logistics lines of operations,
its various branches and sequels for projected real life situations and
turn-arounds.
- Induct new logistical
technologies to simplify and make more efficient the process. Ease to use
project management and logistics operations management software specifically
developed as well as other modern hardware components, particularly for field
uses.
- Dwell a lot on and
from the After Action Report of the on-going effort. What really went wrong?
Draw lessons. How did others do it? How well did it work in their/others’
assessment? Decide fully how best to realistically mitigate the observed
challenges. How functional were previous logistics plans?
- Have a new and clear
vision of what is to be achieved (End
State
- Have a functional and
flexible elections logistics organizational structure. Put together core
functional teams at high, medium and low levels to plan and execute the
strategic plan. Bring in all necessary national stakeholders on that team. Need
not be a large team, with some just in it to add up to the numbers. Such ones
can join in the main core planning and execution team from time to time. Have a
tech-savvy team that can work together virtually and at any time of the day.
Not the traditional; we must see ourselves daily and work, yet achieve only a
little. Goals to core team members clearly defined, assigned and ensured!
- Organise various
regular formal trainings and capacity building for all core team members and
other stakeholders all throughout the 4-year cycle. Train over and over and
over. Practice, Practice and Practice.
- Train to develop a
standard Elections Logistics Template that can be validated and fine-tuned
continually. We needn’t always re-invent wheels that spin well, save those that
clog or snap too often.
- Be very in-tune with
own realities currently available on the national logistics infrastructure,
means and modes. (make time to go on ground to see the realities and talk to
other stakeholder in their natural logistics abode or other habitats).
Carefully determine your hubs and spokes; nodes in it too. Weave your
distribution channels, not losing sight of operational lead times between nodes
and other risk factors that could disrupt the flow. (Make provision for force
majeure hits, sabotage, external deliveries delays and such likes).
Deliberately develop as many scenario situations and practice all team members
on it, in a structured way continually within the cycle.
- Clearly ascertain lead
times between nodes and especially to the farthest. Still make fail safe
provisions within it all.
- Train the core
logistics planning and execution team through various scenarios developed with
logistics distribution maps in class/indoor sessions, Computer Aided
Simulations and role-play assessments on those charged with various roles
during the actual/real life election logistics execution. Build up their
competencies into how best to handle more complex situations while further
bonding the various teams together. Further practice real life logistic
deployments to the field (real small events or simulated) in varying magnitude,
with varying other stakeholders through the cycle; especially within knotty and
naughty situations. Review and Review to keep fine-tuning the process prior the
‘main dance’.
This Working Manual is
not about creating a perfect system but a functional and agile one that is able
to deliver seamless national elections logistics and or in other similar roles
locally or internationally; as with humanitarian logistics for instance. So for
once, the Nigerian national and international shame (if any), with a penchant
for elections postponement, fraught with the usual and inherent ‘not as
efficient logistics processes’ would become a thing of the past.
Talk is cheap so those
saddled with this responsibility should get to work. Nigeria
God
bless Nigeria
Oluwajuwonlo George
Social Commentator/Security Expert
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