No prior knowledge of technology for democratic development is required. However, for this pilot phase, the course will be conducted in English, and a strong English capability is recommended.
Participants should be prepared to dedicate approximately 10 hours over 4 weeks to complete the course modules and provide feedback.
We recognize that there's an opportunity cost associated with dedicating time to professional development. Please consult with your supervisor about how your participation can be supported prior to registering for the course.
Subject Matter Experts
Sarah Moulton
Principles for Digital Development
Sarah Moulton is the Deputy Director of the Democracy and Technology team, and works with NDI's staff and partners to design and deploy technology solutions across NDI's global portfolio of programs. Prior to NDI, she managed ICT programs at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in Washington, DC, as well as spent six years working for both national and international organizations in the Middle East, overseeing technology-driven development projects in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Sarah holds BAs in international studies and German from the University of Oregon, and an MSc in ICTs for Development from the University of Manchester in the UK.
Priyal Bhatt
Human-Centered Design in Tech Projects
Priyal Bhatt is a Program Manager with the Democracy and Technology team at NDI. In addition to experience in international trade, Priyal has worked on governance issues in the Asia-Pacific region for the Anti-Corruption and Rule of Law teams at the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub. Most recently, she served as a graduate student consultant for Transparency International to examine the potential of technology to help women combat land corruption in Uganda. Priyal has a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University and a B.A. in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dan Arnaudo
Defending the Information Space and Political Discourse Online
Daniel Arnaudo is a Senior Advisor at NDI for information strategies, covering the intersection of democracy and technology with a special responsibility to develop programs tracking disinformation and promoting information integrity worldwide. Concurrently, he is a Cybersecurity Fellow at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies where he has worked on projects in Brazil, Myanmar, and the United States. His research focuses on online political campaigns, digital rights, cybersecurity, and information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D).
Evan Summers
Digital Security Considerations for Democracy Work
Evan Summers is the Program Director, Digital Resilience at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), where he works with both NDI staff and partner organizations to design and integrate cybersecurity best practices into the Institute's programs. In addition to conducting risk assessments, trainings, and building organizational cybersecurity policies, Evan engages with tool developers, tech platforms, global policy decision-making bodies, and the wider digital security community to both elevate the risks and concerns of NDI's partners, and to ensure they have the right tools to help them safely and securely conduct their work.
Anca Matioc
Financial Sustainability for Tech-Enabled Projects
Anca Matioc is the founder and director of the consultancy group, La Sobremesa. She has been accompanying civil society organizations in Latin America and across the globe for over a decade, as a designer and facilitator of organizational change processes. Currently based in Mexico City, she supports nonprofits, networks, and funders to design their organizational strategies, sustainability strategies, and strengthen their teams, boards, and processes. Previous to La Sobremesa, she focused on democracy, transparency, accountability, open data and open government, working with The Engine Room and Ciudadanía Inteligente.
Jesper Frant
Managing Tech-Enabled Projects
Jesper has over a decade of experience developing and implementing communication strategy for organizations spanning advocacy, politics, and international development. He currently serves as the technology project manager for the National Democratic Institute. In this role, Jesper oversees and develops timelines, budgets, work plans and tracks tasks and deliverables for technology-related projects. This role is the primary point of contact among the DemTech team, internal software developers and engineers, and external consultants.
Caitlyn "Cat" Ramsey
A "Do No Harm" Framework for Emerging Technologies
Cat Ramsey is a Program Officer specializing in information integrity. Additionally, at the Alliance for Securing Democracy branch of the German Marshall Fund, she examined authoritarian uses of disinformation, cyberattacks, and economic and financial manipulation to undermine democracy in Europe and the United States. Cat holds a master’s degree in Global Peace, Security, and Strategic Studies from Vesalius College, and earned an undergraduate degree in Russian, Arabic, and Persian from the University of St Andrews.
