Founded in 2001, the Standard Action Liaison Force (SALF) is a non-profit organisation born out of a commitment to support South Sudan’s path toward democracy. Although national elections have not been held since independence in 2011, SALF’s work lays the groundwork for post-independence democratic institutions yet to be built. Through research on electoral systems, civic education, and governance, SALF equips citizens with knowledge and informs national policy.

Over the years, SALF’s research portfolio has grown to include tracking the progress of the 2018 peace agreement, capturing the hopes and expectations of citizens ahead of future elections, spotting the challenges in building solid electoral frameworks, and assessing how prepared institutions are to pave the road to a democratic transition.

With support from AHEAD Africa, SALF is working on a research paper titled “Assessing electoral readiness in South Sudan: Citizen perceptions and engagement, legal frameworks, and institutional preparedness.” This study will guide electoral reforms and preparations ahead of the next South Sudanese elections and inform AHEAD Africa’s other supported organisation in South Sudan, the South Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections (SSuNDE), in their advocacy efforts.