International Foundation for Electoral Systems

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) was founded in 1987. Based in Washington 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."

On its website it states:

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.

Summary of activities

On its website current in 2004 IFES stated that to date it had:

• Established field offices in more than 35 countries
• Conducted over 50 Pre-Election Technical Assessments
• Carried out Poll Worker Training Programs in more than 20 countries
• Administered more than 75 on-site Technical Assistance Programs
• Managed election equipment and commodities procurements in over 40 countries
• Directed Voter and Civic Education Programs in over 30 nations
• Coordinated more than 15 Regional Networking Programs of election officials, donors, and NGO representatives
• Overseen more than 45 Election Observation Programs
• Built a cadre more than 1,500 democracy and governance consultants
• Created a Center for Participatory Democracy with 6,500 items on contemporary elections and political processes to assist scholars, election practitioners, and other democracy building institutions
• Issued more than 215 publications on democratic development worldwide.

Programmes 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, Election Guide (http://www.electionguide.org), which enables the monitoring of elections, the election process, and information about parties. The website was launched in 1998 and paid for by "a generous grant" from USAID.

Contact and personnel

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

Handing out prizes for democracy

In October 2007, IFES, which is a private company and contractor, awarded Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award to the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza.

IFES principals and staff

Board members

As of September 2009, board members of IFES are:

• Peter G. Kelly, Chairman
• William J. Hybl, Vice-Chairman
• The Honorable Leon J. Weil, Secretary
• Lesley Israel, Treasurer
• The Honorable Howard Henry Baker Jr.
• The Honorable Mary Banotti
• Judy A. Black
• Ken Blackwell
• Hank Brown
• Sean Cleary
• Frederick P. Furth
• Jeffrey L. Glassman
• Ambassador Stuart Holliday
• Representative Steny Hoyer
• The Honorable Barbara B. Kennelly
• Maureen A. Kindel
• Kathleen M. Linehan, Esq.
• The Honorable Robert L. Livingston
• Senator Richard Lugar
• Sheila Avrin McLean
• Denise Nappier
• His Excellency Andrés Pastrana
• R. Scott Pastrick
• Michael Pinto-Duschinsky Ph.D
• Richard C. Powell, Jr.
• Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann

IFES field-based senior staff

As of January 15, 2007:

• Richard Atwood – Chief of Party, West Bank and Gaza
• Bradley Austin – Senior Field Development Manager, East/South Africa
• Dickson Bailey – Project Director, IFES Albania and Kosovo (Elections)
• Dan Blessington – Chief of Party, Azerbaijan
• Bill Chilvers – Chief of Party, Nepal
• Elizabeth Côté – Chief of Party, Guinea
• Almami Cyllah – Chief of Party, Liberia
• Staffan Darnolf – Chief of Party, Pakistan
• Carl Dundas – Chief of Party, Ethiopia
• Rudolf Elbling – Chief of Party, Nigeria
• 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
• Dr. Cecile Marotte – Chief of Party (Victims of Violence), Haiti
• Dan Malinovich – Acting Chief of Party, Kyrgyzstan
• Katherine Müller – Chief of Party, Tajikistan
• Theo Noel – Chief of Party, Kenya
• 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

Other Consultants

• Andrew Reynolds
• Anthony Bowyer

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
Albania	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

• Center for Transitional and Post-Conflict Governance – Organization belonging to IFES
• 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 [1] Source

Contact, References and Resources

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

Resources

• Rightweb, International Foundation for Electoral Systems.