The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES)

IFES/Armenia Vision Statement


The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) in Armenia is committed to the success of a vibrant and effective civil society. IFES believes that fair and free elections, good governance, rule of law and civic awareness and participation are necessary components of a flourishing, stable and prosperous democracy.


IFES/Armenia Mission Statement
The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) in Armenia provides nonpartisan, locally defined, technical assistance and information to the Armenian population and institutions for the development of civil society and democracy. 


Current Project: Citizens’ Awareness And Participation In Armenia

The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) is implementing a major democracy strengthening and civic education project to empower the citizens of Armenia. The goal of this 4-year project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is increased citizen participation in local self-government through dissemination of information, encouraging civic initiatives and advocacy, and through the promotion of inter-sectoral dialogues between local residents, local self-government bodies, businesses and non-commercial organizations. By building the knowledge base and organizing capabilities of community members and improving their ability to communicate with authorities, the project is also targeted at providing for a more transparent, responsive and democratic government.


Direct Citizen Engagement

In March 2001, IFES initiated its Civic Educators Corps, which includes currently 24 instructors in 8 regions of the Republic of Armenia.

IFES instructors offer the following services and resources free-of-charge to communities in their regions:

Providing of opportunities for citizen feedback on legislative initiatives

In the first year of their work, IFES instructors have conducted more than a 700 activities and serviced more than 13,000 citizens in their regions.

Education, Advocacy, and Oversight through Indigenous Partner

IFES has established a partnership with the Women’s Republican Council (WRC), an Armenian non-governmental organization. WRC, with its experience in encouraging women to engage in public life, is jointly implementing portions of the project, especially those targeted at women, such as producing printed materials on women’s issues, public service announcements, and polls targeted at the female demographic. Outside of Yerevan, IFES & WRC staffs work out of joint offices.

The re-established March 8 holiday of International Women’s Day in Armenia is the annual focal point for a series of educational events during the months of March and April. These include: women’s fairs/ceremonies on March 8th around Armenia, round tables with women NGOs, with journalists, with current and former women parliamentarians, and contests for young people. These activities emphasize the achievements of women in public life, and encourage positive change in the attitudes of the public, authorities and the media towards women participation in public life. 

Information Resources

Reflecting the belief that information is power, IFES is producing regular informational products and distributing them widely to the population. IFES produces professional quality citizen’s guides to the parliament, national and regional governments. It issues a steady stream of issue-oriented leaflets on subjects such as the court system, local governance, condominiums, human rights, and many others. IFES reports on community council meetings around the country, and prepares and distributes council reports to the public. IFES also works with the media to broadcast candidate election debates and public service announcements. A national IFES survey is conducted annually and its results are distributed as well. 

In each of IFES/Armenia’s offices are libraries where citizens can find information about elections, civil society, local self-governance, democracy and other related topics.

For more information about IFES’ work in Armenia or to reach its field offices, please contact:


IFES/Armenia, Head Office
Alex Manukian 9
5-th floor Room
Yerevan
Tel. (3741) 51-20-51, Fax: 51-20-15
E-mail: ifes@ifes.am
Web site: www.ifes.am 



IFES’ Citizens’ Awareness And Participation In Armenia project is financed through USAID Cooperative agreement # 111-A-00-00-0168-00