Franklin De Vrieze is Senior Governance Adviser in WFD's Technical Advisory Unit. He offers context analysis assessment, programme quality assurance and parliamentary advice to WFD country teams. He conducts research on new and innovative themes for parliamentary programming. He is WFD's in-house expert on post-legislative scrutiny (PLS), independent oversight institutions, financial accountability, and anti-corruption.

Franklin De Vrieze has worked on governance issues for 20 years. Before joining WFD, he worked for the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), European Union Delegations, Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), National Democratic Institute (NDI), Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and other governance and parliamentary strengthening institutions. He has lead parliamentary identification, formulation and evaluation missions. He is the author of several academic and policy publications.

Shannon is WFD’s leading in-house expert on issues of gender equality, women’s political empowerment, political processes, and institutional development. She is responsible for developing tools and resources to advance women’s political participation and influence, working with programme teams to design various forms of technical assistance that support better outcomes for women, girls and other under-represented groups, as well as initiating research and policy efforts that support the same results.

Shannon has extensive experience in politics, policy advocacy and elections. She has worked on more than two dozen electoral campaigns, largely for women candidates. She served as Senior Advisor to Dawn Purvis MLA, former leader of the Progressive Unionist Party in Northern Ireland.

She was also an advisor and campaign manager for the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition in their first elections after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Globally, Shannon has served as a policy and strategy advisor to elected officials and political party leaders, both in government and opposition, as well as a coach for candidates and strategist for political parties. She has worked in more than 20 countries worldwide, including as Country Director for National Democratic Institute in the West Bank and Gaza.

Fulvio is the Senior Communications Advisor at WFD and has a background which includes managing UK Government campaigns and advising Ministers on media relations. Prior to joining the Civil Service, he led on communications and engagement for environmental NGO Global Legislators Organization (GLOBE) and served as Chief of Staff and Senior Parliamentary Assistant in the UK House of Commons.

Fulvio holds an MSc in Politics and Communications from the London School of Economics and a BSc in Political Science from LUISS (Rome).

Julia has technical expertise designing and implementing programmes, and advising on inclusive political processes, accountability, transparency, and rule of law. Her specialisation is transparency and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) as well as enhancing the role of civil society in public policy making and government oversight.

Julia has over 15 years of experience working on governance issues in Eastern Europe, Africa and the MENA region, with long-term, in-country support in Burundi and Morocco. She previously worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Brussels Liaison Office, where she focused on parliamentary development, including parliamentary openness and innovation. Before that, she worked in the UNDP Democratic Governance Group in New York on anti-corruption and judicial integrity issues, providing policy advice and programme support to UNDP country offices.

Her previous positions included adviser in the Cabinet of the Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation and governance programme officer at the Belgian Technical Cooperation. She graduated with a master’s degree in law from the University of Leuven in 2002 and in international politics from the University of Paris in 2005. She holds an MS in International Relations, European Studies and Laws.

Tanja is an elections and democratisation expert with 16 years of relevant experience in post conflict and transition countries. Her areas of expertise include the development and management of electoral support and democratic governance projects addressing the capacity-building of electoral management bodies, electoral system analysis and management as well as local government structures, parliamentary processes and participatory mechanisms.

Prior to joining WFD, Tanja worked as Chief Technical Adviser for the UNDP Election Project in Moldova (2016-2018) and headed the OSCE Governance Department in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2015-2016). In the last 18 years, Tanja has continuously worked for UNDP electoral support projects in Afghanistan (2006), Nepal (2007 and 2013), Sudan (2009) and Liberia (2012). Tanja also taught Democratic Development and Electoral Assistance at the University of Duesseldorf.

During her career, she has worked for international as well as national organisations engaged in democratic development and supporting electoral processes like the OSCE, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (2001-2002), and the EU. Tanja holds a Master's Degree (MA) in Political Science from the University of Muenster and a Master's Degree (MSc) for Development Studies from University of London.

Victoria Hasson is Senior Parliamentary Adviser at Westminster Foundation for Democracy. Victoria provides technical expertise in the design and development of WFD programmes. She leads on our Political Economy Analysis and conducts technical assessments, delivers learning experiences related to core areas of parliamentary strengthening, produces research papers and develops new products for WFD. Victoria provides advisory support to the Africa, Latin America and Asia programme teams.

With a doctorate on parliamentary procedure and democracy from the University of Sheffield, Victoria has ten years of parliamentary experience and worked in the National Assembly of South Africa for four years before joining WFD. Further details relating to Victoria’s work and experience can be found on her LinkedIn page: Victoria.Hasson.

Dina is the Senior Human Rights Adviser at WFD, as well as our regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. Dina’s principle field of expertise is designing and leading programmes supporting parliaments, National institutions, and CSOs, including expertise in legislative drafting and analysis, financial oversight, public policy development and evaluation, as well as her extensive expertise in Rule of Law and Human Rights and gender-based violence.

Dina Has a PhD in International Human Rights Law from the University of Paul Cezanne, Aix-en-Provence, France. Dina authored many articles related to Human Rights in the Arab World and the discourse regarding universalism and cultural specificity of Human Rights, she also wrote a Handbook for Parliamentarians and Criminal Justice Practitioners: Role of Parliamentarians in Countering Terrorism in Nexus with the Criminal Justice Sector.

Sophia is the Technical Advisor on Political Inclusion at WFD. Between 2018-2020 Sophia was responsible for leading WFD’s Commonwealth wide programme, the Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy, where she led innovative inclusion programmes across the Commonwealth and in 15 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to advance political inclusion of women, youth, LGBT+ citizens and persons with disabilities. Sophia’s Technical Advisor role will expand on this work, to integrate political inclusion into programme design within WFD and is responsible for developing tools, resources and research to support technical assistance in this area.

Sophia has extensive experience working in parliamentary strengthening and electoral support programmes internationally. Sophia managed International IDEA’s Support to Electoral Processes and Democracy programme in Myanmar for three years, leading a consortium of 8 local and international organisations providing support to the 2014 elections in Myanmar. During this period, she also provided technical support to the Joint Public Accounts Committee at the Union Parliament of Myanmar and to the Parliament of Bhutan. Prior to this, Sophia worked for the Federal Parliament of Australia for five years, with the Senate Committee Office serving on the Finance and Public Administration Committee and subsequently as a Researcher with the Parliamentary Library of Australia.

Sophia is a published researcher on election systems and processes, and on parliamentary procedure and has particular interest in inclusive politics. Sophia holds a Master of Public Policy (Policy Analysis) from the Australian National University, awarded with Merit and a Bachelor of Arts (Gender Studies) from the University of Melbourne.

Rafa has over 12 years of experience supporting parliamentarians worldwide to advance environmental governance through his work with the environmental parliamentary association GLOBE, as part of the International Secretariat. He has led the formulation and delivery of numerous demand-driven capacity-building interventions, from providing policy development capacity support to facilitating the exchange of best legislative practices, in collaboration with the national government agencies and civil society of the beneficiary countries, as well as with knowledge institutions such as the LSE Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources.

He has worked on climate change mitigation and ecosystem-based adaptation and disaster risk-reduction, marine and terrestrial biodiversity governance incl. fisheries, forests and drylands, environmental economic accounting and the natural capital approach inter alia, and promoted policy coherence and convergence for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Rafa holds a MA in European Integration and Development from the Free University of Brussels - VUB and a MA in International Relations from the University Paris XI – John Hopkins Institute. He is also a chartered Project Manager Professional (PMP)®.

Tina is a Commissioner for the Independent Commission on Aid Impact (ICAI), Governor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a Lay Chair at Kings College NHS Foundation Trust. Tina holds a BA Hons in Philosophy and Politics, MSc in Politics and Administration. She is a Fellow of the RSA and a Member of the European Corporate Governance Institute.

During that time, the Electoral Commission exercised oversight over three UK general elections and other major elections and referendums, including the 2014 referendum on independence for Scotland. Peter was involved in major changes to the electoral registration system and the framework for campaign finance regulation. He has a range of international elections experience, particularly in European and Commonwealth countries. Before joining the Electoral Commission he worked in a range of senior roles in the UK civil service, including the Inland Revenue and Cabinet Office. He spent 8 years as a non-executive director of his local district general hospital, and 8 years as an independent member of a large housing provider’s audit and risk committee.

Alistair has extensive experience of parliamentary committees’ oversight of government, legislative processes and parliamentary procedure. He also worked as Presidential Adviser to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Originally from Warrington, Alistair studied history at Southampton University and St Antony’s College, Oxford. Since 2012 he has worked extensively on parliamentary strengthening projects, rules revision and staff training in Africa, including francophone countries, countries of the former Soviet Union and South Asia.

John has over twenty years’ experience as a senior manager in health and social care, a devolved legislature, higher education and the charity sector. From 2008-12, he was Director of Clerking and Reporting at the Northern Ireland Assembly, with responsibility for committees, legislation, plenary and the official report. From 2012-15, John was Director of Information and Outreach at the Northern Ireland Assembly, with responsibility for research, information technology, communications, outreach and equality. John Stewart was educated at Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University (MA in Business Strategy).

Rob Clements headed the House of Commons Research Service from 2000 to 2009 and subsequently had overall responsibility for information services for both MPs and the public. He played a leading role in developing the House’s strategic approach to improving engagement with the public. He has extensive experience of assisting Parliaments in other countries to develop their research and information services. He has a degree from the University of Cambridge in Economics and is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.

Roger has almost 30 years’ experience in parliamentary procedure and administration. Before joining Tynwald, he was a House of Commons Clerk and Joint Secretary of Association of Secretaries General of Parliament. Roger remains the Branch Secretary for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in the Isle of Man. Roger has extensive experience advising on parliamentary affairs worldwide, including Canada (North-western Territories), Kenya, Laos, Namibia, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Turks and Caicos. A graduate of University College London, Roger was called to the bar in 1978.

Fazela was the lead official in parliamentary and legislative ethics for 19 years in the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. During her tenure, she assisted many provincial legislatures and municipalities to establish integrity frameworks and assisted them to implement their ethical codes. After her departure from parliament, Fazela was appointed as Integrity Commissioner to the North West Provincial Legislature in South Africa. Fazela was part of the transition process in the initial years of South Africa’s democracy and has an in-depth understanding of building a democratic parliament in periods of transition.

Iain has a strong track record of managing and delivering high quality capacity-building projects for political parties in Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. A personable and motivated communicator, Iain is adept at building strategic trust based-relationships on a national, international and government level. He is an experienced political trainer with skills in technical assistance relating to campaigns, policy development, internal party democracy, communication strategies and the integration of young people, LGBT communities and women into party politics. From 2012-2016, he managed the Liberal Democrat International Office and spearheaded innovative and highly commended projects such as the Africa Liberal Network and South Africa Young Leaders Programme. Most recently, he has worked with NDI on their flagship project ‘21st Century Political Parties’, a new initiative to address the growing disconnect between political parties and citizens.

Sir Paul Silk was educated at Oxford and Princeton Universities. House of Commons official 1975-7, 1979-2001 and 2007-11. Clerk of National Assembly for Wales 2001-7. Official in Northern Ireland Office 1977-9. Chair of Commission on Devolution to Wales 2011-4. Honorary Professor, Cardiff University 2011-6. Trustee of Hansard Society. Member of Parliamentary and Political Honours Committee. Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. Appointed Knight Commander of the Bath 2015 for “services to devolution in, and the Parliaments of, the United Kingdom”.