Lesson-110810-7

Plan for important national events such as general elections. It is important for projects to identify important national events, such as general elections, that might interrupt implementation schedules and factor these events into planning tools such as annual work plans. General elections are particularly complex due to their political nature and the consequences. For example, the elections often result in changes of elected officials leading to new governments with new policies. The general election process including campaigning, elections, and the transition period often paralyzes decision-making until a new government is elected and installed. The E2A project activities in Argentina were delayed approximately four months due to general elections. Since the dates for important national events like general elections are known well in advance, projects might anticipate delays and build them into the workplan or focus on activities that are not affected by the elections.