International Foundation for Electoral Systems

From Powerbase
Revision as of 12:13, 14 September 2009 by Claire Robinson (talk | contribs) (→‎Board members)
Jump to: navigation, search

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.[1]

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.[2]

Programmes around the world

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.[3]

Contact and personnel

Handing out prizes

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.[4]

IFES principals and staff

Board members

As of September 2009, board members of IFES are:[5]

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

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

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

References

  1. ↑ About Us, ElectionGuide website, accessed 14 Sept 2009
  2. ↑ Mission and Goals, IFES website, version placed in web archive 25 Jan 2004, accessed in web archive 14 Sept 2009
  3. ↑ About Us, Election Guide website, accessed 14 Sept 2009
  4. ↑ IFES Honors OAS Secretary General Insulza With Its Annual Democracy Award, Media Newswire, October 2007. (Accessed: 9 October 2007)
  5. ↑ About IFES: Board, IFES website, accessed 14 Sept 2009
  6. ↑ Navbahor Imamova, [http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-11-07-voa24.cfm Uzbekistan to Hold Presidential Elections in December], VOA News, 7 November 2007
Retrieved from "https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=International_Foundation_for_Electoral_Systems&oldid=96417"