CODEO’s preparations for election-day field observation, including the deployment of Rapid Response Observers (RROs) and Roaming Observers (ROs) commenced with a three-day national training-of-trainers‟ workshop in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region from November 2 to 4, 2012 for 30 Regional Coordinators (RCs). This was followed by ten (10) regional training sessions for CODEO‟s constituency supervisors (CS) between November 16 and 17. The CODEO Regional Coordinators trained a total of 280 Constituency Supervisors. The final phase of the recruitment and training of the bulk of CODEO Observers took place simultaneously in all the 275 constituencies between November 28 and 30, 2012. CODEO has put an effective system in place to ensure that its observers are properly recruited to undertake its observation project. All trained CODEO observers were recruited from member organizations and cautious steps were taken to ensure that recruited members were strictly non-partisan and professional.

At each level of the training, CODEO observers were taken through the legal framework for elections, code of conduct for observers, and what to observe at the polling stations. Simulation exercises were also conducted to enable observers go through the observation process ahead of election day and also complete the observer‟s checklist and critical incidents report forms. CODEO appreciates the support and collaboration it has received from the Electoral Commission in training its observers. As a member of the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM), CODEO subscribes to the “Declaration of Global Principles for Non-Partisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations”. Accordingly, each CODEO observer was made to sign a pledge of neutrality and non-partisanship, which has been documented.

We are pleased to inform Ghanaians and the international community that on Friday, December 7, 2012, CODEO will deploy close to 4000 Rapid Response Observers (RROs) to a representative sample of polling stations throughout the country to observe the polling from set-up, casting of votes and counting of votes to the collation of results. Additional close to 500 CODEO volunteers will serve as roaming observers on Election Day.

At this point, we are confident that our observers have been given the best of training. They have been duly accredited by the Electoral Commission to undertake this important national assignment – with competence and integrity.