This toolkit is designed to aid visionary, ambitious party members who are on the peripheries of power, but eager to plan and implement internal reforms aimed at improving a party’s internal democracy and electoral appeal. Taking the Wheel seeks to equip party change agents with a roadmap for the implementation strategies and soft skills needed to navigate the arduous party reform process. The guide includes key recommendations for potential party reformers, case studies with personal experiences from reformers around the world, and Reform Scenarios that take the reader through the planning process of party reform experts. Readers will learn how to begin the journey to reform, build leadership and transparency in their party, ensure gender equality, and reinvent relationships with citizens. 

Taking the Wheel is the culmination of NDI’s 21st Century Political Parties Program aimed at helping parties refashion themselves to better engage with voters, represent citizen interests, and deliver policy solutions. In 2017, NDI released Reflect, Reform, Reengage: A Blueprint for 21st Century Parties, which provides a series of recommendations and best practices for parties seeking to undergo modernizing internal reforms. 

If you have any questions and/or would like any more information, please contact Ivan Doherty. 

Taking the Wheel and Piloting Change was published with support from the National Endowment for Democracy.