BRIDGE Partners Announce the Launch of Version 2

BRIDGE is the most comprehensive professional development course available in election administration. To date, scores of BRIDGE courses have been conducted by skilled professionals in more than 31 countries for over 1,500 people.

“BRIDGE provides a serendipity of opportunities to advance electoral administration as a profession created by the international development community. While we have writings and codes of conduct that lend support to the concept of a profession, our work through this partnership gives further definition and promise to this profession”, said Jean-Pierre Kingsley, IFES President and Chief Executive Officer, at a panel discussion featuring senior representatives from each of BRIDGE partner organizations.

BRIDGE trainings can be customized to fit any social or political context, drawing from 23 unique, stand-alone modules that build upon international standards and principles, developed by electoral administrators reflecting decades of experience managing elections.

Since joining BRIDGE in 2007, IFES has introduced BRIDGE as an effective tool for strengthening the professionalism of electoral management body staff to hundreds of stakeholders. IFES similarly utilizes BRIDGE course material and methodologies to advance its own institutional education effortsâ, said Michael Svetlik, IFES Senior Director of Programs, at meeting of an expert advisory group held in advance of the launch.

IFES values the concept that embracing staff development is critical for capacity building and stands ready to support both specific training and broader staff development as part of its planning a program development, to the extent donor funding permits and is welcomed by stakeholders.

The BRIDGE Project is a joint effort of IFES, International IDEA, the United Nations Development Program, the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division and the Australian Electoral Commission.