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.About Us, ElectionGuide website, accessed 14 Sept 2009 
==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.Mission and Goals, IFES website, version placed in web archive 25 Jan 2004, accessed in web archive 14 Sept 2009
==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.About Us, Election Guide website, accessed 14 Sept 2009
===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 Honors OAS Secretary General Insulza With Its Annual Democracy Award, Media Newswire, 4 October 2007, accessed 14 Sept 2009
== IFES principals and staff==
===Board members===
As of September 2009, board members of IFES are:About IFES: Board, IFES website, accessed 14 Sept 2009
* 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:Field-based senior staff, IFES website, version archive 15 Jan 2007, accessed in web archive 14 Sept 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 ReynoldsAfghanistan Considers Election System Change, IFES website, 6 Sept 2007, accessed 14 Sept 2009
*Anthony BowyerNavbahor Imamova, Uzbekistan to Hold Presidential Elections in December, VOA News, 7 November 2007, accessed 14 Sept 2009
==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==
In 2001 IFES's "partners" were listed as follows on its website:
*Agency for Education and Development (AED)
*ARCO Corporation
*Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA)
*Association of Central and Eastern European Election Authorities(ACEEEO)
*Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA)
*Association of Caribbean Electoral Organizations (ACEO)
*Australian Agency for International Development
*Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
*CNN International
*Coca-Cola Corporation
*Department for International Development - U.K. (DFID)
*Elections Canada
*Ernst and Young
*Eurasia Foundation
*ExxonMobil
*Finnish International Development Agency (FINNIDA)
*Government of Japan
*Government of Qatar
*Government of Sweden
*J. Walter Thompson Publishing
*Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
*International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials, and Treasurers (IACREOT)
*International IDEA
*International Human Rights Law Group
*International Republican Institute (IRI)
*Internews
*National Democratic Institute (NDI)
*Nokia Mobile Phones
*Management Systems International (MSI)
*Motorola, Inc.
*Organization of American States (OAS)
*Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
*Oxygen Media, Inc.
*P.T. Datakom Asia
*Research Triangle Institute (RTI)
*Riggs Bank
*Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)
*The Asia Foundation
*The Carter Center
*The Soros Foundation
*Tinker Foundation, Inc.
*United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF)
*United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
*United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
*United Nations Office Project Service (UNOPS)
*U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
*U.S. Department of State
In February 2003 the following organisations were listed on the IFES website as "partners" or "allied organizations":Partners, IFES website, version placed in web archive 5 Feb 2003, accessed in web archive 14 Sept 2009
*Council for a Community of Democracies
*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.
==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.
===References===
Category:Democracy Promotion