The project will implement a comprehensive set of activities aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, enhancing civic participation, and promoting transparent and inclusive electoral processes. These activities will target key institutional actors, civil society organizations, and citizens, ensuring a holistic approach to democratic governance and electoral integrity in Zambia.
A core component of the project will focus on strengthening the institutional capacity of democratic and electoral bodies, including the National Assembly of Zambia, the Judiciary, the Electoral Commission of Zambia, the Ministry of Justice, and the Human Rights Commission. Capacity-building activities will include induction training for newly elected Members of Parliament following the 2026 general elections, as well as specialized training for parliamentary staff on legislative drafting, oversight, gender mainstreaming, and public engagement. In parallel, the project will support the development of the National Assembly’s new strategic plan and enhance internal training systems to ensure long-term institutional sustainability. These interventions will contribute to improving institutional effectiveness, transparency, and accountability in democratic governance.
The project will also strengthen the judiciary’s capacity to manage electoral disputes effectively and impartially. This will include the development and dissemination of practical guides and legal reference materials on electoral dispute resolution, as well as training sessions for judges, magistrates, court staff, and lawyers. The Judicial Training Institute will be supported to become fully operational as a national training platform, enabling continuous professional development in electoral justice. In addition, peer-to-peer exchanges with regional judicial counterparts will be facilitated to promote the adoption of best practices and improve the efficiency, credibility, and transparency of electoral dispute resolution mechanisms.
Another important area of intervention will be the enhancement of public participation and civic engagement in democratic processes. The project will conduct an Electoral Political Economy Analysis to inform programming and support evidence-based reforms. It will also organize youth engagement initiatives such as the Youth Parliament Academy and Democracy Dialogue Tournaments, aimed at fostering political participation and leadership among young people. Furthermore, the project will support the development of civic and voter education strategies, including digital tools and outreach efforts targeting women, youth, persons with disabilities, and persons in lawful detention, ensuring broader inclusion in the electoral process.
Civil society strengthening constitutes another key pillar of the project. Through technical and financial support to organizations such as the Christian Churches Monitoring Group, the project will enhance civil society’s capacity to conduct credible and independent election observation. This will include long-term observation of the pre-election environment, deployment of observers during the elections, and implementation of a Process and Results Verification for Transparency exercise. Civil society organizations will also conduct research, public opinion surveys, and advocacy initiatives aimed at promoting electoral reforms and improving democratic accountability. These efforts will contribute to increasing public trust in electoral processes and ensuring that electoral reforms are informed by credible evidence and citizen feedback.
The project will also facilitate coordination and dialogue among key stakeholders through consultation meetings, coordination platforms, and post-election review conferences. These activities will enable stakeholders to assess electoral processes, identify lessons learned, and formulate recommendations for future reforms. By combining institutional capacity building, civic engagement, civil society strengthening, and evidence-based advocacy, the project will contribute to more transparent, inclusive, and accountable democratic governance in Zambia, while supporting the implementation of electoral reforms and enhancing the credibility of future electoral processes.
Finally, a portion of the action to support Outcome 2 will be implemented by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) for the following activities:
- Ongoing capacity assessment, iterative learning and sustainability
- Public opinion research to inform responsive policymaking and reform
In addition, NDI will provide technical and financial management support and capacity strengthening to the Chritian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) for the activities:
- Long-term observation of the pre-election environment
- Process and results verification for transparency exercise of 2026 elections
- Electoral reforms analysis, outreach, and advocacy
- Data collection and advocacy on Violence against women in elections (VAW-E)