Recommendations  To avoid operational or implementation delays, confusion and potentially conflicting provisions, international good electoral practice advocates that there should not be substantive changes to the legal and electoral framework 6 to 12 months prior to an election.  To promote transparency and a level playing field, the ZEC should consider adopting a more communicative and collaborative approach with the various election stakeholders. Opportunities and aspects of the electoral process that do not contravene the legal framework, such as stakeholder comments on the design of ballot papers prior to printing, should be seen as a constructive and positive means for engagement.  The variance in population size across Zimbabwe’s constituencies remained an issue of concern to some stakeholders. To ensure fairness and equal access, a review of the boundaries should be undertaken in an inclusive, non-partisan and transparent process, with a view to standardising the numbers of voters across constituencies to ensure fair and equal representation.  The Group notes some of the infrastructural challenges observed, such as polling station locations without basic facilities (e.g. inadequate lighting or water) to enable the smooth and efficient management the elections. These are issues which are not exclusive to Zimbabwe, but familiar in a number of developing democracies. As they impact inclusivity and access, as well as the transparency of the process, it is the Group’s hope that as Zimbabwe prospers, the infrastructure for elections, which is often the same as that for development, such as schools and community centres, will be given due consideration.  To avoid fatigue and thereby minimise human errors, it is recommended that the the ZEC considers deploying its officials in shifts, whereby the presiding officer and polling officials hand over the counting process to a counting officer and counting staff. In addition, it is suggested that consideration be given to reducing the volume of paperwork used at the polling station.  The Group encourages the ZEC to consider streamlining the counting, collation and tabulation process to reduce redundancy and to minimise human errors, without compromising the integrity and accuracy of the process.  The Group recommends that the ZEC ensures that underlying information from each polling station, which enables the tabulation of results for Ward, Constituency and Presidential Elections, are available throughout the process such that the aggregation of results is carried out in a transparent manner. 59