| Date | Event
|
| 1999 | The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and the Association of Electoral Administrators carried out training for the European Parliamentary Elections.
|
| 1999 | Home Office review of 1999 European Parliamentary Elections
|
| 30 November 2000 | The Electoral Commission is set up through the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
|
| May 2000 | Home Office published "A Review of the European Parliamentary Elections 1999"
|
| December 2001 | Electoral Commission Report "Electoral Services—Who's being trained?" A survey undertaken by the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace)
|
| May 2002 | Greater London Authority Report on 2000 Elections released.
"Elections and Electorate Engagement"
|
| September 2002 | Electoral Commission's Corporate plan 2002-03 to 2006-07
|
| December 2002 | Electoral Commission five year strategy published "Managing twenty-first century elections- A UK strategy"
|
| February 2003 | Electoral Commission's "Funding Electoral Services"
|
| 24 February 2003 | Fifth meeting of Speakers Committee, Electoral Commission sought increase in funding
|
| 12 March 2003 | Sixth meeting of Speakers Committee approved Electoral Commission Main Estimate for 2003-04
|
| 20 March 2003 | All training seminars for the May 2003 elections completed.
|
| March 2003 | Electoral Commission briefing to Speakers Committee, business case for training.
|
| May 2003 | Elections for Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly.
|
| June 2003 | 'James Bewsher Associates' An independent evaluation on training for the May 2003 elections.
|
| June 2003 | UK wide 'Training Strategy Advisory Group' set up.
|
| July 2003 | Electoral Commission's "The shape of elections to come"
|
| 6 August 2003 | An advert was placed in the Official Journal of the European Communities for the Training contract. Firms were required to submit an "Expression of Interest"
|
| 5 September 2003 | Deadline for "Expression of Interest" for Training contract.
Electoral Commission's "Public opinion and the 2004 Elections"
|
| 16 September 2003 |
Electoral Commission "Corporate Plan 2003-04 to 2007-08"
|
| 17 September 2003 | The Office for the Deputy Prime Minister announced the European Parliamentary and Local Elections Bill
|
| 19 September 2003 | Electoral Commission released "Invitation to tender" to short listed firms.
|
| 24 September 2003 | Formal briefing to short listed firms.
|
| 3 October 2003 | Three firms submitted tenders for the Training Contract.
|
| 3-7 October 2003 | Tender submission review period.
|
| 8 October 2003 | Final two firms give presentations and interviews for Training Contract.
|
| 9-16 October 2003 |
Clarification period |
| 24 October 2003 | Provisional award of contract.
|
| 29 October 2003 | Solace Enterprises Ltd confirmed contract price would be £2.1million
|
| 7 November 2003 | A consortium led by Solace Enterprises was awarded the training contract
|
| 11 November 2003 | Two unsuccessful bidders notified by letter.
|
| November 2003 | Training Needs Analysis completed by TADS training Ltd part of the Solace Enterprises consortium
|
| 5 March 2004 | Regional Returning officers training seminar
|
| 22 March 2004 | Secondary legislation: the main regulations for non-postal pilot regions were made
|
| 23 March-28 April 2004 |
Regional training seminars for Local Training Officers and Electoral Administrators
|
| 1 April 2004 | European Parliamentary and Local Elections Act received Royal Assent
|
| 27 April 2004 | Secondary legislation: the main regulations for all-postal pilot regions were made
|
| 6 May 2004 | All postal region guidance on training was issued
|
| May 2004 | Second legislation introduced: the Welsh Order Form 2004 was made on the 17 May and came into force on the 19 May
|
| 10 June 2004 | European Parliamentary and Local Elections
|
| 11 & 12 June 2004 |
All postal region street interviews
|
| June 2004 | Final draft report on Training evaluation by Insight Social Research Limited.
|
| June 2004 | Deloitte Evaluation of the Training Project was commissioned by the Electoral Commission. (Conducted between June and September).
|
| July 2004 | London Assembly established the 2004 Elections Review Committee
|
| 5 & 19 July 2004 |
Evaluation Focus groups held.
|
| August 2004 | Solace Enterprises subcontracted evaluation to Insight Social Research Limited: final draft report of this evaluation released.
|
| 7 September 2004 | Electoral Commission "Corporate Plan 2004-05 to 2008-09"
|
| October 2004 | Final version of Deloitte Evaluation released
|
