Gianni Brusati provides insight on election management based on his role as finance administration adviser to the National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone. He elaborates on the relationship between donor agencies and local personnel during the 2007 and 2008 elections, outlining the budget-management role of the United Nations and the mechanism for disbursing funds to local personnel. He discusses the financial accountability structures in place, both in the commission headquarters and in the field, and suggests possible ways of improving the system. Discussing planned post-electoral capacity building projects, Brusati outlines key focus areas, including training in financial planning and reporting. He further suggests that the difficulty in designing electoral financial accountability systems lies mainly in the implementation of plans rather than their design. He goes on to describe the steps involved in the recruitment and training of commission workers. Brusati concludes by suggesting strategies that could help improve administration in future elections.
Full Interview
At the time of this interview, Gianni Brusati was a United Nations finance and administration officer, acting as an adviser to the National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone. After spending a number of years working in business finance in London, Brusati went to Congo as a consultant for a non-governmental organization. In 2006, he proceeded to Sierra Leone on a one-year fellowship sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development, working as a technical adviser for Finance Salone, a local microfinance organization. At the end of 2006, he was recruited into the U.N. Elections Unit, serving as finance and administration adviser to the electoral commission for the 2007 national elections. Afterward, Brusati stayed in the country as a consultant for a diamond company. A few months later, he was asked to resume his work as an adviser for the 2008 local elections.