Annual Estimate 2023-24			Electoral Commission, Wales
Senedd Costs			2023-24	Commentary
			£000s
Direct Costs (pay and non-pay)
	Electoral Administration
		Wales	249	This represents the Committee’s share of the costs of supporting the development of policy and legislation in relations to Senedd constitutional reform and Welsh Government reforms to modernise elections in Wales. This will include providing expert opinion on policies and draft legislation which takes into account the views of the electoral community across Wales. We will also continue to develop and deliver online guidance and provide resources for candidates and agents, Returning Officers/Electoral Registration Officers and electoral administrators.  We will use our performance standards in our engagement with ROs/EROs to support and challenge them on their delivery of electoral events and activities. We will work closely with the electoral community in Wales through the various stakeholder groups we manage, for example the Wales Electoral Coordination Board and Senedd Parties Panel. We will work closely with the Welsh Government to provide advice and expert opinion as further electoral modernisation reforms are developed. The Wales team will also provide resource and support for projects being led outside of Wales (e.g. on ending dual reporting) but with a direct impact on devolved elections. We will continue to fulfil our statutory responsibility by meeting the Welsh Language Standards set by the Welsh Language Commissioner and will lead and support the wider Commission to ensure that our commitments to the Welsh Language are upheld.
		Support and Improvement	18	This represents the Committee's share of the costs associated with supporting the monitoring and support of EROs in the delivery of their statutory electoral registration functions. It also includes keeping the Performance standards for EROs and ROs under review to ensure that relevant legislative changes are reflected in the performance standard frameworks.
		Guidance	45	This represents the Committee's share of the costs associated with providing advice in response to queries from Returning Officers/Electoral Registration Officers and electoral administrators throughout the year. It also includes updating our suite of core guidance and resources as needed in light of feedback and/or legislative changes
		Specific resource	117	This represents the costs of two staff members who will be employed to support the delivery of the Welsh Government and Senedd's extensive programme of electoral reform -  ensuring that this complex legislation is clear and workable - as well as furthering our education programme with voters, and in particular young people.
			429
	Legal
		Legal	80	This represents the Committee's share of the total cost of providing legal support to the Commission’s advice, guidance and regulation functions. It also includes supporting the development of any policy recommendations as well as providing general and on-going legal advice on Welsh legislation and support of the Commission’s functions as they relate to Wales (including registration, regulation, policy, electoral administration, governance, and compliance with Welsh Language Standards).  This work includes advising on proposals for electoral reform in Wales and ensuring that the Commission fulfils its accountability obligations to the Senedd.
	Regulation
		Registration & reporting	72	This represents the Committee's share of the costs associated with developing clear and user friendly spending, donations and post-poll reporting guidance. As part of this work, we provide parties, candidates and agents with training, bespoke seminars and advice surgeries, to ensure understanding of the laws and high levels of compliance, including specifically with any new requirements. We provide targeted support to stakeholders tailored to their individual needs.
		Monitoring & enforcement	65	This represents the Committee's share of the costs that are associated with compliance and enforcement work arising from parties and campaigners in Wales. Our monitoring work includes reviewing campaign activity, and identifying any instance where proactive intervention is required to bring campaigners into compliance, or carrying out enforcement work if required. We also work closely with the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) within each Police Force area to provide advice and guidance during the election period. Our advice services are available to all regulated entities and stakeholders.
		Regulatory support	50	This represents the Committee's share of the costs for the work associated with the statutory reports required from political parties in Wales, such as quarterly donations and loans reports, annual registration of party details and annual Statement of Account submission.
			267
	Communications, Policy & Research
		Campaigns & Corp Identity	41	This represents the Committee's share of the costs of the Commission's campaigns team based on our estimate of how their time will be spent. The officers will give support to the Wales team on areas of electoral reform in Wales and will be able to help produce any voter information which is relevant to the electorate. They will also support partnership work to make sure any potential reforms are understood by groups facing additional barriers to voting.
		Digital communication & learning	78	This represents the Committee's share of the costs of the Commission's digital communications and learning team based on our estimate of how their time will be spent. This covers building on our existing political literacy work by developing new education resources to support the roll-out of the new curriculum for Wales, and providing training and support to teachers on how to use these resources. We will also continue to undertake consultancy work with our youth voice partner and young people across Wales, to get their feedback and input on our resources to ensure they are effective and fit for purpose. We will begin to develop community education projects, developing resources for use amongst under-registered and disengaged groups. This also covers our digital communications work. Our digital communications team develops and maintains our bilingual website and social media channels, supporting Commission-wide publication of information in English and Welsh for our diverse stakeholders, including voters, electoral administrators and campaigners.
		External communications	68	This represents the Committee's share of the costs of the Commission's external communications team based on our estimate of how their time will be spent. This covers handling reactive press and public affairs enquiries; carrying out proactive media engagement for routine regulatory publications and Commission reports, and preparing for meetings with Members of the Senedd. Press office and public affairs support will be increased for activity relating to the Welsh Government electoral reform agenda.
		Research	47	This represents the Committee's share of research activities including the annual public attitudes surveying and assessment of the accuracy and completeness of electoral registers.
		Policy	53	This represents the Committee's share of the costs of policy analysis to support the development of new policy and legislation by the Welsh Government.
			287
Total direct Costs			983
Indirect Costs
		Resource	304	5% of back office costs, including rent, rates, ICT, finance, HR and management costs
		Depreciation	127	5% of the depreciation for capital expenditure, including upgrading of the Political finance and other systems
			431
Total indirect Costs			431
Total contribution			1,414