What is election monitoring research?
Election monitoring involves tracking citizen sentiments and political parties’ activities to mitigate risks for businesses and other organisations during and after elections. It includes ongoing monitoring of social and traditional media, alongside surveys and interviews with citizens, analysts and political leaders. It encompasses:
- Social media monitoring: Tracking and analysing online citizen sentiments and political party activities across various social media platforms.
- Traditional media monitoring: Monitoring news coverage and commentary in traditional media outlets, including newspapers, television, and radio.
- Citizen surveys: Conducting surveys to gauge public opinion, perceptions, and attitudes towards electoral processes and political actors.
- Stakeholder interviews: Engaging with analysts, political leaders, and community representatives through interviews to gather insights and perspectives on election-related issues.
Some of the main benefits of election monitoring research are:
Identify and mitigate potential risks to business operations
Safeguard the reputation and credibility of businesses
Inform strategic decision making and resource allocation
Secure stakeholder trust and confidence through proactive risk management
Ensure business continuity and market stability
Key questions that are answered by election monitoring research
Election monitoring research aims to answer several key questions to guide strategic decision making:
- What are the prevailing sentiments among citizens regarding the electoral process and key political actors?
- How are political parties engaging with voters and influencing public opinion through online and offline channels?
- What are the potential risks and challenges that businesses may face during the election period?
- Are there any emerging trends or issues that could impact market dynamics and business operations?
- What strategies can businesses employ to mitigate risks and capitalise on opportunities during and after the elections?
In On Africa’s election monitoring research services
African elections, like elections in many developing countries across the globe, are oftentimes tense periods with wide-reaching impacts. In On Africa (IOA) works with clients in the private and public who require reliable data and insights from the ground during crucial election periods in Africa.
With more than a decade of experience in monitoring elections across Africa, we help our clients ensure that they have the most accurate data leading up to, during and following election processes to inform strategic decision-making and to mitigate potential election-related risks.
In past projects, we have leveraged our consultant and partner networks on the ground in more than 30 African countries to collect data and insights that are not available through online sources. We couple this key informant research with citizen surveys to measure sentiment and track shifts in perceptions. We also integrate AI-driven insights from media monitoring and social listening, and augment this with broader geopolitical research.
Together, our mixed method approaches ensure a holistic view of election processes and allow for risk mitigation strategies to be put in place with sufficient lead time. Similarly, the consolidated data can be tracked and analysed on a long-term basis to allow for ongoing strategy refinement as political landscapes evolve.
Election monitoring case study:
Election monitoring insights pertaining to Botswana presidential elections
Client:
South African advisory firm
Country:
Botswana
Methodology:
Online research and media monitoring, coupled with interviews with key informants as well as surveys with citizens across the country
IOA was commissioned to provide election monitoring support for a South African advisory firm to support their client in terms of strategy and positioning in the lead-up to the 2019 Botswana elections.
The research was rolled out over the course of six months and involved a number of methodologies, including online data collection and live social media monitoring, as well as different components of primary research, including interviews with a dozen key informants and multiple surveys with 800 citizens in total across the country.
The project also involved the mapping of key locations as well as identifying key individuals of interest that are involved in the elections, including detailed profiling of candidates and their parties.
Key project outcome:
IOA provided daily and weekly intelligence briefings throughout the course of the project, coupled with social and online media monitoring data to provide the client with a live view of developments on the ground. Detailed bi-monthly reports were also included as part of the research process to ensure an ongoing consolidated view of developments as they unfold.
Find out more about how IOA can help you with election monitoring in Africa.
Read more about IOA’s various service offerings and examples of our past work.
Related services offered by IOA:
Geopolitical Research | Industry, Sector & Market Intelligence | Market Assessments | Media Monitoring & Social Listening | Ongoing Intelligence | Risk Assessments | Social Research & Impact Studies