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Staffing

You should establish a project team to support you in carrying out your functions as PARO. The project team should include the relevant key staff to support you in each specific function, including encouraging and co-ordinating electoral participation across the police area and ensuring that candidates’ election addresses are compliant with legislation.

In addition to yourself your project team should include:

  • other Returning Officers in the police area
  • where a Local Returning Officer is not also the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), the ERO
  • any appointed deputies
  • other election staff members
  • any other key personnel you consider appropriate (such as, for example, colleagues from your council’s communications team or your local SPOC)

The project team should have a clear remit and understanding of the tasks to be carried out. At the planning stage a schedule of meetings should be prepared, and a record of each meeting should be kept as an audit trail of what was discussed and of any decisions made. Where possible, you should chair any formal meetings of the project team.

Last updated: 30 May 2023