Individual Assignment 2: Instructor-Marked

Case Study: Civic Education for Electoral Participation in an Authoritarian Regime

Background

In a nation stifled by a decades-long authoritarian regime, political participation and democratic principles have been suppressed. The regime’s control over the media, education, and civil society organizations has left the population with limited understanding of democratic processes and the fundamental right to engage in free and fair elections. The regime employs fear, censorship, and intimidation to silence political opposition, making civic education a rare and brave endeavor.

This repressive environment has resulted in a lack of political awareness among citizens, leading to low voter turnout and a limited understanding of the significance of their electoral participation. Many citizens are unaware of their rights, the election process, or the importance of holding free and fair elections in shaping the nation’s future.

Local civil society organizations, in partnership with international human rights groups, have initiated a civic education project aimed at enlightening citizens on electoral participation and the principles of democracy. The project strives to empower citizens to engage in their civic duties, advocate for democratic reforms, and challenge the authoritarian regime’s grip on power.

Project Objectives

1. To educate citizens on the significance of electoral participation in a democratic society.
2. To provide knowledge about the electoral process, including voter registration, campaigning, and election day procedures.
3. To promote the importance of free and fair elections as a means of political change.
4. To empower citizens to exercise their political rights, despite the authoritarian regime’s repressive tactics.
5. To advocate for international support and awareness to bolster democratic reforms within the country.

Task

Due to your vast project management experience, you’ve been hired as a consultant to support a high-level multi-sectoral delegation in conceptualizing and initiating this project. Produce a Risk Assessment Report [no more than 2 pages] to aid the donors and other key stakeholders in understanding the risk situation. At a minimum, the report should comprise:

1. The top 3 potential risks, and the risk identification tools used. Justify the risks and appropriateness of the selected tools.
2. Risk analysis and ranking, in order of severity.
3. Proposed risk response strategy for each risk. Justify the selected strategies.
4. Advise on whether the proposed project should continue or stop. Justify the same.

Areas of Evaluation & Grading