Co-ordinator of long-term observers

It is essential that the core team in the capital and the long- and short-term observers in the field provide each other with the accurate and timely information they need to do their jobs properly.

The co-ordinator of long-term observers and the deputy head of mission also devise a deployment plan for long-term observers. In doing so, they need to ensure that they have a sufficient number of teams to provide adequate coverage of the country, while also providing for diversity - both in terms of nationality and experience - within the teams themselves.

"The role of an LTO coordinator is to ensure that the observers and the core team are communicating properly, feeding each other with the information they need," says Delphine Blanchet, a French citizen who has been working in the elections field since 2000.

"I also need to ensure that any information we receive about events in the field is checked by our observers, that it is accurate and relevant to our observation."