Who we are
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Margie Cook AO
Margie was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) in January 2019 for services to the international community in the promotion of democratic electoral process, and for human rights .
Mary Cummins
Mary has over ten years experience with the UN in senior management and Chief Technical Advisory roles focusing on elections; fifteen years with leading international non-governmental organisations (National Democratic Institute-NDI, International Foundation for Electoral Systems-IFES, Adam Smith International-UK, Trocaire Ireland, Democracy International), six years with a parliamentary party in Ireland and in the European Parliament providing media and communications expertise and five years with the BBC TV News and Current Affairs, London.
Mary has directed and supervised extensive electoral and legislative initiatives in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia. She has supervised and administered livelihood development initiatives aimed at enhancing the economic recovery of local communities in specific districts within Pakistan. She has ensured sufficient support for humanitarian aid distribution and coordination for protection of civilians in partnership with the UN Country Teams during active conflict in South Sudan.
Derrick Marco
Derrick’s background is in the field of electoral processes, conflict prevention and democratic governance. He has worked as a professional consultant, trainer and activist for a wide range of South African, regional and international organizations and initiatives that promote free and fair elections and the peaceful resolution of disputes and civic participation. He brings extensive knowledge of and skills in designing, implementing and evaluating electoral assistance projects, as well as facilitating dialogue and cooperation among different stakeholders. He is also an expert in conflict mitigation and domestic observation management. Derrick is also a theologian and church historian, and has led congregations in the Western Cape over many years.)
Barrister Festus Okoye
Festus Okoye is a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He served as Executive Director of Human Rights Monitor, Nigeria, the Chair of Transition Monitoring Group, Nigeria; Coordinator, Independent Election Working Group, Nigeria, Chair, Nigerian Bar Association Election Working Group and as National Electoral Commissioner, Information and Voter Education in Nigeria. His expertise is in constitutional and legal matters; domestic election observation and electoral reform. Barrister Okoye was a member of the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) that was established by President Umar Musa Yar Adua following the 2007 general election. He also served as civil society delegate to the 2014 National Conference established by President Goodluck Jonathan. He served as a member of the Independent National Electoral Commissions Committee on the Management of Election Petitions and Review of Judgements on Election Cases. He has provided expert capacity development in the preparation and presentation of electoral petitions and challenges in domestic observation across the African continent.
EXPERT/CONSULTANT
Short-term expert/consultant
• European Center for Electoral Support (ECES)
• National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nigeria
• National Orientation Agency (NOA), Nigeria
• Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
• Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
• United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
• States Independent Electoral Commission, Nigeria
Toby Ralph
Toby Ralph is a global marketer who has worked at the highest levels of business and politics.
He’s advised Prime Ministers, Ministers and senior business people. From a background as a strategist, then running advertising agencies he became a specialist in behaviour change campaigns, persuasion and market research. Published by Penguin and Oxford University Press, Toby has worked on over fifty elections across four continents, specialising in strategic communications, advocacy and campaigning, including all of Australia’s federal elections since 1996. Toby was included in the inaugural Business Review Weekly Power List as one of the fifty most influential people in Australian business.
He is a frequent keynote speaker and regular guest on TV shows.
Dr Ralph-Michael Peters
Dr Ralph-Michael Peters (Germany) has more than 25 years of experience in country-focused political analysis, the conduct of election observation missions, the design and implementation of field-based governance and civic education programs as well as M&E and capacity-building projects in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He has key management and implementation experiences in providing political analysis for German government & research institutions (BMZ, Institute for African Affairs), EU election observation missions, democracy strengthening programmes (DFID/DAI Kenya & Zimbabwe, British Council Zambia, UNDP Nigeria) and monitoring, evaluation & learning (UNHCR, GIZ Kenya; EU Nigeria, DAI Kenya, Heinrich-Boell-Foundation Kenya).
He has excellent analytical skills, is well versed with different methodological assessment approaches (Action Research, Political Economy Analysis) and has proven capabilities to apply knowledge and skills to emerging new project needs.
