International Foundation for Election Systems

International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) Founded in 1987, based in Washingon DC, it fosters "democratic initiatives", extending loans and grants to various "developing" countries, and it "provides "targeted technical assistance to strengthen transitional democracies". IFES notes: "the end of the Cold War in 1989 created opportunities… to respond to an overwhelming demand for technical non-partisan expertise in democracy and governance."

Summary of Activities

1. Redesigning electoral laws
2. Advising in electoral mechanics
3. Setting up civic groups and organizing them for political purposes
4. Pre-election surveys
5. Overall political surveys
6. Strategic advice to political groups
7. Contracting to carry out NED projects

From the website:

As one of the world's premier democracy and governance assistance organizations, IFES provides targeted technical assistance to strengthen transitional democracies. Founded in 1987 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, IFES has developed and implemented comprehensive, collaborative democracy solutions in more than 100 countries.[1]

Actions around the World

• IFES Africa Programs
• IFES Asia Programs
• IFES Eurasia Programs (former Soviet republics)
• IFES Latin America Programs
• IFES Middle East Programs

Election Guide

IFES has produced a website which enables the monitoring of elections, the election process, and information about parties. The website was paid for by "a generous grant" from USAID.

Contact and personnel

• Dorin Tudoran -- Editor in Chief
• Karen Buerkle -- Data Editor
• Oana Luca -- Research

Website: www.electionguide.org

Handing out prizes

In October 2007, IFES awarded a prize to the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza. Here is a private company, a contractor, handing out "the Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award". Usually it is governments who hand out lofty prizes, but in this case IFES is acting in a quasi-statal capacity.

IFES Principals and Staff

Board Memebers

• William J. Hybl, Chairman
• Jean-Pierre Kingsley – President and Chief Executive Officer
• Peter G. Kelly, Vice-Chairman
• Richard Soudriette, IFES President and member of the US State Dept. "advisory committee on democracy promotion"[2]
• Leon J. Weil, Secretary
• Joseph Napolitan, Political consultant; president and CEO of Napolitan Associates; founder of the American Association of Political Consultants and co-founder of the International Association of Political Consultants; author of numerous articles and books on political campaigns; campaign advisor to various candidates both in the U.S. and abroad.
• Judy Black
• Don V. Cogman
• Judy G. Fernald
• Tyrone Freeman
• Frederick P. Furth
• Jeffrey Glassman
• Steny Hoyer -- (US Congress Rep. (MD))
• Patricia Hutar
• Lesley Israel
• Barbara Kennelly
• Maureen Kindel
• Jean-Pierre Kingsley
• Kathleen M. Linehan
• Robert L. Livingston
• Jane Bergman Norton
• Andres Pastrana — Former President of Colombia (1998-2002)
• R. Scott Pastrick
• Michael Pinto-Duschinsky
• T. Timothy Ryan
• Robert H. Tuttle

IFES Senior Field Staff

IFES Field-Based Senior Staff
Bradley Austin – Senior Field Development Manager, East/South Africa	Dickson Bailey – Project Director, IFES Albania and Kosovo (Elections)	Dan Blessington – Chief of Party, Azerbaijan
Elizabeth Côté – Chief of Party, Guinea	Almami Cyllah – Chief of Party, Liberia	Peter Erben – Deputy Director and Senior Advisor, Center for Transitional and Post-Conflict Governance
Ched Flego – Chief of Party, Armenia	Ben Goldsmith – Chief of Party, Egypt	Beverly Hagerdon Thakur – Chief of Party, Philippines
Paul Harris – Chief of Party, Yemen	Leone Hettenbergh – Chief of Party, Uganda	Richard John – Chief of Party, Iraq
Edward Kibirige – Chief of Party, Burundi	Charles Lasham – Chief of Party, Nigeria	Dr. Cecile Marotte – Chief of Party (Victims of Violence), Haiti
David Mikosz – Chief of Party, Kyrgyz Republic	Katherine Müller --Chief of Party, Tajikistan	Theo Noel – Chief of Party, Kenya
Mauricio Claudio López-Rivera – Chief of Party, Timor Leste	Carmina Sanchis-Ruescas – Chief of Party, DRC	Hermann Thiel – Chief of Party, Lebanon
Rodolfo Ticao – Senior Program Manager, Iraq	Marcin Walecki – Senior Political Finance Advisor, Center for Transitional and Post-Conflict Governance	Peter Williams – Chief of Party, Afghanistan
Jennifer Wilson – Chief of Party, Kazakhstan
Source

Other Consultants

• Andrew Reynolds

Countries where IFES has been active

IFES states that it is active in 35 countries (inc. most of the former Soviet republics), but major activity occurred here:

Countries where IFES has major operations
Alabania	Angola	Azerbaijan
Dominican Republic	East Timor	Ethiopia
Georgia	Guatemala	Guinea
Guyana	Haiti	Honduras
Indonesia	Iraq	Kazakhstan
Nicaragua	Nigeria	Pakistan
Palestinian Territories	Paraguay	Philippines
Tajikistan	Yemen

Affiliations

• Council for a Community of Democracies
• NED
• Eurasia Foundation
• Freedom House
• International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Canadian NGO)
• International IDEA
• International Republican Institute
• National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
• Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
• Soros Foundation
• United States Agency for International Development (USAID) (main funding source).
• U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) funding [3]

Source

Contact

IFES

1101 15th Street, N.W., Third Floor

Washington, D.C. 20005

202.828.8507, Telephone

202.452.0804, Fax

Website: www.ifes.org

External Sources

• Rightweb, International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

IFES Honors OAS Secretary General Insulza With Its Annual Democracy Award, Media Newswire, October 2007. (Accessed: 9 October 2007)