The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) supports citizens’ rights to participate in free and fair elections. Our independent expertise strengthens electoral systems and builds local capacity to deliver sustainable solutions. As the global leader in democracy promotion, we advance good governance and democratic rights by: providing technical assistance to election officials; empowering the underrepresented to participate in the political process; and applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle. Since 1987, IFES has worked in more than 145 countries, from developing to mature democracies.
Institutional Representative: Dr. Fernanda Buril, Deputy Director, Center for Applied Research and Learning
Dr. Fernanda Buril is the Deputy Director of the Center for Applied Research and Learning at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). Her main areas of expertise revolve around political transitions, electoral operations, conflict and security and electoral integrity. She supports the application of innovative research and assessment frameworks to promote evidence-based programs and provides technical assistance to partners around the world.
Fernanda is the lead author of Overcoming Challenges to Democracy and Governance Programs in Post-Conflict Countries and Increasing the Success and Sustainability of Democracy and Governance Interventions in Post-Conflict Countries, which analyze more than 25 years of democracy assistance programming and identify strategies to increase the likelihood of positive and sustainable impact. She has also published a chapter in The Handbook of Collective Violence and co-authored IFES’ Safeguarding Health and Elections, one of the first comprehensive guides on how to hold elections safely during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Her work has also been published by The British Academy and the St. Andrew’s Journal of International Relations.
Before joining the Center, Fernanda worked in the IFES Americas regional team, managing projects in Guatemala, El Salvador, Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. She has also worked for other nonprofit organizations, designing projects to counter violent extremism and promote interreligious dialogue. She was also a Penn Kemble Fellow (2019-2020) at the National Endowment for Democracy.
Fernanda holds a Ph.D. in political science from Washington State University (WSU), where she specialized in political psychology and international relations. At WSU, she taught courses on politics of developing nations, international politics and gender and politics.
Institutional Representative: Erica Shein, Managing Director, Center for Applied Research and Learning
Erica Shein is the Managing Director of the Center for Applied Research and Learning at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and an expert in electoral integrity. She co-authored the 2023 publication Paths to Democratic Resilience in an Era of Backsliding: A Roadmap for the Democracy Support Community. She leads the development and execution of IFES’ Learning Agenda and Knowledge Management Initiative. Erica was the Lead Editor for the IFES COVID-19 Briefing Series and co-creator of the IFES Electoral Integrity Assessment Methodology and the Abuse of State Resources Research and Assessment Framework, which provide unique insights into vulnerabilities in electoral and political processes that can undermine good governance. She co-developed a groundbreaking leadership and ethics training curriculum for senior electoral officials and is the co-author of multiple publications on electoral integrity, including “Risk-Limiting Audits: A Guide for Global Use,” “Leadership in Crisis: Ensuring Independence, Ethics and Resilience in the Electoral Process” and “Election Audits: Principles and Practices” in the Oxford University Press publication Election Watchdogs: Transparency, Accountability, and Integrity (2017).
Erica holds a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies with a concentration in international law and a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University.
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) supports citizens’ rights to participate in free and fair elections. Our independent expertise strengthens electoral systems and builds local capacity to deliver sustainable solutions. As the global leader in democracy promotion, we advance good governance and democratic rights by: providing technical assistance to election officials; empowering the underrepresented to participate in the political process; and applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle. Since 1987, IFES has worked in more than 145 countries, from developing to mature democracies. Institutional Representative: Dr. Fernanda Buril, Deputy Director, Center for Applied Research and Learning Dr. Fernanda…