IFES Executive Curriculum in Electoral Leadership

"[iEXCEL] allowed me to test the Fijian Elections Office's (FEO) practices in terms of election management with electoral leaders from around the region [...] and to obtain peer reviews of various initiatives at the FEO."

— Mohammed Saneem, Supervisor of Elections, Fijian Elections Office

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems' Executive Curriculum in Electoral Leadership (iEXCEL) is a scenario-based electoral leadership curriculum that develops the skills needed to strengthen institutional independence, deliver elections within the context of a crisis, resist manipulation of elections by political actors and foster institutional resilience and capacity.

Electoral leaders often operate at the center of fundamental power transitions, under enormous political pressure and while facing uniquely complex challenges to their independence. This role has become even more challenging with the proliferation of new media and election technologies that offer bad actors evolving opportunities to undermine electoral institutions, processes and public perceptions. iEXCEL draws on real-world peer experiences to help prepare leaders of election management bodies (EMBs) to effectively meet these challenges.

Development of the curriculum was made possible with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), as part of the "Global Elections and Political Transitions Program."

Established in 1995, CEPPS pools the expertise of three premier international organizations dedicated to democratic development: IFES, the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute. CEPPS has a 20-year track record of collaboration and leadership in democracy, human rights and governance support, learning from experience, and adopting new approaches and tools based on the ever-evolving technological landscape.