The Administration and Human Resources Department (Admin & HR) is one of the central support pillars of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC). It plays a critical role in ensuring that the Commission’s Secretariat operates smoothly, efficiently, and in full alignment with its constitutional mandate to deliver credible elections. The department provides both administrative and human capital support—ensuring that the Commission attracts, develops, and retains a skilled and motivated workforce while maintaining an enabling environment for effective service delivery.

The department is headed by the Director of Administration and Human Resources, currently Dr. Yacinto Chikapa, who oversees a broad range of functions that sustain the day-to-day operations of the Commission and support the institutional capacity required to execute its electoral mandate.

Mandate and Core Functions

The department’s mandate covers both administrative management and human resource development. In fulfilling its role, the department ensures that the Secretariat is adequately staffed, resourced, and compliant with the laws and regulations governing public service institutions.

Its key functions include:

• Human Resource Planning: Anticipating and addressing staffing needs through strategic workforce planning to ensure the Commission always has the right people in the right roles.
• Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention: Managing transparent and merit-based recruitment processes, hiring skilled professionals, and fostering retention through fair employment practices and career development opportunities.
• Compensation and Benefits: Designing and implementing equitable reward systems to maintain motivation, fairness, and compliance with national labour laws.
• Training and Development: Building institutional capacity through continuous professional development, leadership training, and orientation programs that align staff skills with the Commission’s strategic direction.
• Audit and Legal Compliance: Ensuring adherence to all human resource and administrative regulations, and maintaining compliance with government and labour laws.
• Occupational Health and Safety: Creating a safe and healthy working environment by enforcing safety standards and promoting employee wellness initiatives.
• Disciplinary Management and Employee Welfare: Handling disciplinary issues in line with established procedures while promoting morale through welfare programs and staff engagement.
• Performance Management: Implementing structured performance appraisal systems that foster accountability, recognize excellence, and improve productivity.
• Administrative Support Services: Overseeing office management, procurement of services, facility maintenance, and general office coordination to ensure operational efficiency.
• Fleet Management: Managing the Commission’s vehicles, ensuring they are well-maintained, insured, and available to support both routine and electoral operations.

Departmental Structure and Sections

To effectively deliver on its diverse mandate, the department operates through four specialized sections:

Administration Section – Responsible for general office operations, coordination of logistics, maintenance of office infrastructure, and management of service contracts.

Human Resource Management and Development Section – Focused on staffing, training, welfare, payroll, and employee relations.

Transport and Logistics Section – Manages the Commission’s vehicle fleet, ensuring mobility support for both administrative and electoral activities.

Registry Section – Serves as the custodian of institutional records and correspondence, ensuring efficient documentation and archiving systems.

Currently, MEC has 304 employees across all operational levels. Of these, 22 serve in managerial positions, 213 are general staff, and 69 are considered excess staff due to functional or project-based redeployments. The Administration and HR Department itself has 52 established positions, with 43 filled, nine vacancies

Position in the MEC Strategic Plan (2023–2028)

In the Commission’s 2023–2028 Strategic Plan, the department’s mandate is streamlined under Pillar No. 2: Internal Business Processes. This pillar focuses on strengthening the Commission’s internal systems and institutional resilience. The department’s work contributes directly to four key strategic areas:

• Leadership and Corporate Governance – Strengthening institutional governance structures and ensuring leadership accountability.
• Infrastructure, Transport, and Equipment – Managing physical resources and ensuring logistical readiness for all MEC operations.
• Safety, Security, and Investigation – Promoting a secure and safe working environment, including asset protection and staff security.
• Natural Disasters, Pandemics, and Calamities – Developing preparedness plans and response measures to safeguard staff and operations in emergencies.

Alignment and Governance

The department falls under the oversight of the Finance, Administration and Audit Committee (FA&A Committee) of the Commission. The Director of Administration and Human Resources serves as the Committee’s Secretary, providing technical input and ensuring implementation of decisions. Other key management members on this Committee include the Directors of Legal Services, Internal Audit, Finance, ICT, and Procurement.

Challenges and Future Focus

Despite its strong foundation, the department continues to face challenges. These include difficulties in filling vacant positions—both permanent and temporary—especially ahead of the 2025 General Elections, gaps in certain HR policies that require review, and delays in service provision by some vendors, particularly insurance companies that slow down vehicle repair authorizations after accidents.

Going forward, the department is committed to strengthening human resource systems, modernizing administrative operations, and ensuring that MEC’s workforce remains motivated, ethical, and performance-driven. It will continue to emphasize professional development, staff welfare, and the modernization of service delivery systems.