UNDP’s Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) leads the organisation’s independent evaluation function. In 2026, it published its first thematic evaluation of UNDP’s support to electoral processes, covering 2015 to 2025.
The evaluation assesses the relevance, coherence, and effectiveness of UNDP’s support across dozens of country contexts. These range from stable democracies to fragile, conflict affected states. It draws lessons on sustainability, risk management, and engagement in complex political environments. These lessons will inform UNDP’s future work in democratic governance.
A publication with this scope needed a strong visual identity, one that could hold together ten years of evidence. It also had to read as neutral to every country involved.
Turning the electoral cycle into a visual system
We set out to represent elections as a system. That meant focusing on electoral management bodies, legal frameworks, and voter registration.
The identity centres on a segmented circle, inspired by the layout of an electoral chamber. Coloured sections evoke parliamentary seats. Each one marks a phase of the electoral cycle: before, during, and after an election. The circular form conveys continuity and positions elections as part of an ongoing institutional process.
The palette stayed deliberately restrained: deep blue and charcoal for governance and institutional strength, with muted green and soft violet accents. Every colour combination meets WCAG AA contrast standards, since the identity was designed for screen reading and accessibility from the outset.
The final report, Evaluation of UNDP Support to Strengthening Electoral Capacities and Institutional Processes, is a fully accessible, tagged PDF, built for web and thumbnail viewing.
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