Report: DIVE Year 1 Kick-off Berlin

The DIVE Year 1 kick-off meeting officially launched implementation under the Specific Grant Agreement. It focused on building a shared understanding of the project, its delivery approach, and the immediate operational steps needed to begin without delay. The session was intended as a working meeting rather than a public event. Its goal was to reacquaint all partners with the agreed objectives, outputs, and timeline, and to confirm how the consortium will coordinate and deliver the Year 1 work program consistently across Member States.

The coordinator team opened the meeting by walking partners through the overall structure of Year 1 and how the work packages connect. The consortium reaffirmed the project’s four thematic programmatic areas and their role in the action logic:

• strengthening citizen election observation networks;
• supporting advocacy for electoral reforms aligned with fundamental rights;
• closing civic education and participation gaps;
• developing a shared foundation to deter foreign information manipulation, interference, and disinformation.

The core message throughout was that Year 1 is structured to produce concrete, comparable outputs across countries and to create a practical basis for Year 2 follow-up work and scaling.

Partners agreed that the value of the year lies in disciplined implementation, clear ownership, and shared templates that enable aggregation and cross-country learning.

A substantial part of the meeting was dedicated to operational coordination and working methods. Partners agreed that email will remain the mandatory channel for formal communication and documentation, with a Signal group used as a supplementary channel for quick coordination. It was clarified that the project does not involve handling security-sensitive information and that partners are encouraged to share relevant materials and publications to support joint learning and comparability. The coordinator team confirmed that a dedicated communications contact list will be established to streamline approvals, publication planning, and the consistent presentation of DIVE outputs.

The meeting also discussed the consortium's approach to subcontracting and procurement for Year 1 deliverables. The coordinator team clarified that subcontracting must be transparent, trackable, and aligned with the grant agreement obligations, while keeping the process simple and fully documenting award decisions. Partners asked practical questions that will be addressed through follow-up guidance, including the expected level of detail in financial reporting from contractors, options for pre-financing to avoid cashflow issues, and how to credibly document co-funding. In this context, partners examined the role of volunteers as potential co-funding sources, including how volunteer time might be accounted for under different country conditions and what national requirements (such as contracts or insurance) may apply. The coordinator team acknowledged these concerns and committed to providing a clear, workable, and compliant approach that is also proportionate, so administrative requirements do not hinder timely delivery.

A second practical block focused on the Slovenia study visit, which was confirmed as a key Year 1 anchor activity. The group reviewed the indicative schedule around election day and the visit's structure, including briefings, observation-related learning activities, and an internal debrief. The coordinator confirmed the reimbursement approach and the main logistical parameters, including travel reimbursement arrangements and accommodation. A cap on flight costs was reiterated, with a request that partners contact the coordinator in advance if travel costs exceed the indicative ceiling. The meeting also clarified the current plan for observer accreditation: the goal is to submit accreditation centrally through the coordinating organization, while recognizing that if national procedures require it, some participants may need to seek accreditation through their own organization. Partners were informed that this point will be confirmed with the relevant authority and communicated with clear instructions well in advance of deadlines.

Finally, the meeting set expectations for Year 2 proposal development. The consortium agreed that Year 1 outputs should explicitly inform a credible Year 2 workplan, and that drafting should begin early to avoid last-minute concept development. Partners discussed high-level directions for Year 2, including the practical training of new citizen election observers and further work on civic education and participation. It was agreed that a first concept outline will be prepared ahead of the Slovenia study visit, with a short partner commenting period following shortly thereafter, so that Year 2 planning is grounded in Year 1 learning and remains realistic in terms of partner capacity and delivery timelines.

Key outcomes of the kick-off meeting included partners realigning on the Year 1 objectives and deliverables, confirming the coordination and communication approach, identifying the main operational risks and open questions for subcontracting and co-funding documentation, and validating the time-sensitive next steps for the Slovenia study visit and Year 2 proposal drafting. The coordinator team will follow up with written guidance on procurement and contracting arrangements, consolidate the communications contact list, circulate the next coordination dates, and provide a short action list with responsibilities so that implementation proceeds immediately and predictably.

This kick-off meeting successfully fulfilled its purpose by turning the grant agreement into a shared delivery plan, confirming practical coordination mechanisms, and beginning implementation steps for the Year 1 work program in accordance with the planned milestones and outputs.